


Disequilibrium

by GremlinSR



Series: A Holmes in Konoha [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Confused Nara Shikamaru, Drama, Dramatic Mayu, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Hinata is a good bro, Hokage Uchiha Itachi, Judicious use of fainting, Light Angst, M/M, Mayu needs to come up with better plans, Military Police Force, Sequel, Shocking I know, Smut, Unplanned Pregnancy, marriage is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-04-28 15:47:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 96,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14452515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinSR/pseuds/GremlinSR
Summary: One of Mayu's brilliant (ill-advised) plans has some unexpected consequences that figuratively and literally take her feet out from under her. Good thing nothing keeps her down for long.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fast-forward by about four years, so Mayu is 22.
> 
> (If you're new to this series, you may want to start with [Deduction in Shadows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11813418/chapters/26652618)).

"Huh," Mayu mumbled as she picked up a squash and studied it. "I can't believe this is actually working. Criminals are so dumb."

"Focus, Mayu-taicho. Also, I'd go with the squash to the right," Akito's voice said through her comms.

Mayu rolled her eyes, but put the squash down and picked up the one next to it. She breathed in deeply, and yep, that was the smell of opium following her around.

"I'm going to remove the comms so they don't give the game away," she said, then smiled at the owner of the stand when he turned towards her and paid for her squash.

Which she probably wouldn't eat, since she'd most likely be kidnapped.

"What? What game? We agreed to detain and interrogate anybody that followed you after dropping the bait. There's no game that would require -"

"Try to keep up Akito-san. If we let them take me, you can follow us straight to their hideout."

There was a long pause and what sounded like a groan from Luto.

"Mayu-taicho," Hinata scolded, and Mayu swung her bag cheerfully. "You shouldn't put yourself in danger so easily."

"Aw, Hinata, I love you too."

"Mayu-taicho, if you do this, I will put it in the official report," Akito threatened.

That did give her pause because Fugaku was very clear on how he felt about her 'hare-brained' ideas. Of course, him stopping by to scold her meant extra time with him, so...

"Do what you gotta do, Akito," she said, steps light as she walked down the street. "Don't worry, I've already summoned Momo and Anzu, they'll assist in tracking me if my soon-to-be kidnappers lose you."

"Hello, Akito-san," Mayu heard Anzu say in the background, accompanied by a manly yelp from Akito.

"God _damn_ it, why do your summons have to be so creepy -" Mayu reached up and tugged the comm out of her ear while pretending to scratch at her neck.

With a flick of her fingers, she tossed it into a nearby fish stand, trying not to slump at the MPF quartermaster's future reaction to her losing yet another comm.

She hummed as she turned down an alley that acted as a shortcut from the market to the Nara compound. The light was fading, which provided plenty of ominous shadows for kidnappers to jump out of.

She enhanced her hearing and sense of smell, and the sound of a shoe scuffing across dirt accompanied by the strong scent of opium, sweat, and - gross - sex, gave away the positions of her soon-to-be attackers. Ugh, she hoped they knocked her out so that she didn't have to experience perfume d'criminal up close and personal when they hauled her away.

When they jumped her at the end of the alley, it was clumsy and embarrassingly transparent. One vaulted out from behind a dumpster and slammed into her, knocking her against the wall. Yep, there went her perfect squash, falling out of the bag she'd dropped out of 'surprise' and rolling across the dirty ground and out of sight.

She put up a token struggle, reveling in the sound of a pained grunt as her elbow found a groin. She didn't dodge the backhand from the second figure that dropped from the building to land in front of her, though she could have.

Her head snapped to the side and pain bloomed across her cheek. She made the appropriate distressed noises and flailed when a cloth with a familiar chemical smell was put over her face. As her consciousness faded, she wondered how stupid these thugs had to be to think that the student of Uchiha Fugaku would be taken down so quickly.

When Mayu woke up, she was even more unimpressed with the criminals standing in front of her than she had been at their pathetic kidnapping plan. They were in a  _warehouse,_ for god's sake. Three men and two women were standing around her, staring at her expectantly.

One of the women, a reedy kunoichi with brown hair and blue eyes, was about a foot from her. She could think of three ways to take out that one  _alone,_ how had they evaded Mayu's team for a full week when they were so dull? Mayu's attention was brought to the syringe in the woman's hand when she shifted. The empty syringe.

The sting in her arm from the shot the woman had given her is what had woken her, and she wrinkled her nose when warmth spread from the injection site, up her arm, across her chest, and finally to her head. She blinked rapidly as the world around her went fuzzy. At least the syringe looked new, that was something.

"What did you just give me?" Her voice sounded detached, more curious than afraid.

One of the other women smiled. She was pretty in a sweet, unassuming sort of way, and Mayu thought that she might be the reason nobody had caught them yet.

"I stole that from T&I. It should...encourage you to tell us the truth."

Crap. Mayu still wasn't  _great_ about keeping her mouth shut while on regular painkillers, let alone something designed to make her spill her guts. This was probably not going to go well for her. Where was her team, anyway?

A tall, lanky man with blonde hair cropped close to his skull came forward and knelt down in front of her. She flinched back when he reached out and ran a thumb across her lower lip.

"She's pretty," he said in a low tone.

"Gross," Mayu mumbled.

She thought he was going to hit her, but then the brunette kunoichi pushed him back with two fingers to his chest and a moue of distaste.

"We don't have time for your shit, Karu. Soon we'll have half her clan and the MPF after her. Let's get the information we need so we can dump her."

Mayu rolled her eyes. Like they could kill her - she'd probably be able to take them down in less than a minute. Even if her body felt floaty and disconnected from her mind.

Her eyes wandered around the room, and she perked up when she saw her flak jacket and scroll belt on a folding table across the vast, dimly lit room. Seriously, when would people learn to keep her far, far away from her supplies?

"Always such a killjoy, Aiko," he grumbled.

"You don't look like an Aiko," Mayu said dreamily, and Aiko gave her a sharp look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, your friend I could maybe see as an Aiko," she tilted her chin towards the pretty kunoichi, "but you're more like...a Helga."

Mayu made a noise of pain in the back of her throat when Aiko fisted her hair and gave it a rough yank, pulling her head back. She leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart.

"You're going to tell us where that unclaimed poppy field is, Nara-san," Aiko said, and Mayu smiled up at her, even as her eyes watered in pain.

"Oh, that's easy. It's nowhere."

Aiko's brow furrowed and her grip tightened. "What?"

"It doesn't exist, we made it up," Mayu said, her upbeat voice in direct opposition to the swearing and moans coming from the other shinobi in the room.

"That - that's not -"

"Possible? Sure it is. I know how much you like to kidnap and torture people when it suits your business needs. So I made myself suit your business needs," Mayu continued.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to wait to reveal that?

"Fuck!" pretty should-be-Aiko said. "It's a trap. We have to get out of here!"

There were the sounds of general scrambling around her and Mayu sprung from her chair. She'd gotten out of her bonds almost immediately after waking. She hit Aiko in the back of the neck as she turned to flee. She maybe overcalculated how much chakra to use, because the woman slumped down at her feet, unmoving.

"This is the Military Police Force. Surrender immediately," a familiar voice called, and when Mayu looked up, she saw a figure silhouetted in the window.

 _So cool,_ she thought to herself distantly as his apron fluttered in the breeze from the open window behind him.

Aiko's associates panicked, and Mayu sighed when Karu's eyes settled on her and took on a familiar gleam. No way was she becoming a hostage, especially to some low-level paperwork chunin. He dashed across the space between them, and Mayu took one deep breath to try and push the dizziness that was only getting worse away.

When he reached for her, she grabbed his wrist in both her hands, bending at the waist while putting her hip into his center of mass. With a tug and pop of her hip, he went flying over her head, right into the waiting arms of Uchiha Fugaku.

If he weren't such a creepy, horrible guy, Mayu would have felt bad for him during the short but decisive beatdown he received. When Karu was trussed up on the ground, groaning in pain, Fugaku turned towards Mayu, who was watching the multiple officers now teaming the building with interest. The rest of the offenders were in a similar state to Karu.

The officers on the scene seemed particularly interested in the bags of drugs lining one wall. They had brought her to their base of operations, which was not a bright move.

"Ugh, no imagination," she said out loud, words coming out slightly garbled.

Fugaku came to stand in front of her just as her team appeared at her side. Akito looked as unimpressed with her as ever, Luto cheerfully asked if she was hurt, and Hinata was already fussing.

"Shishou!" she slurred and snapped her arms open for a hug. He stared at her, then closed his eyes for a good three seconds.

"Mayu. Have you been drugged?"

Hinata gasped, and Luto's words stuttered to a halt.

"You know what rhymes with drugged? Hugged." She took a step forward, eyes wide and expectant. She tripped over her own feet and was saved from a cruel meeting with the concrete when Fugaku caught her.

"Yay," she said, voice muffled against his shoulder as he adjusted his grip on her.

"Dai-san. Would you take Mayu to the hospital, please?" he called.

The next few minutes were a confused scramble as Mayu refused to let go of Fugaku. Dai was trying to gently pry her arms off of him while Fugaku scolded her and Hinata fluttered around them, trying to check her vitals. Finally, a pouting Mayu was being held in a bridal carry by Dai, who was visibly trying not to laugh as Fugaku attempted to straighten his clothes.

"You're so dign'fied, Fugu-shishou," Mayu said, head flopping back as she stared up at the spinning ceiling. "I just. Really love you, you know?"

Snickers came from the officers that were processing the scene around them, and she looked over just in time to see Fugaku take a page from his son's book and put two fingers to his forehead.

"That's very nice, Mayu," he finally said, and she beamed. He loved her too! "Dai-san, you should probably get going, now."

"Yes, Fugaku-sama. Should I get her statement while I'm there?"

"No," Fugaku said, voice hard. "I'll come by later for it."

There was a collective shiver through the gathered force at his tone, but Mayu just cheered groggily.

"It's been so long since we spent time together!"

Mayu turned her attention to Dai, flopping her arms around his neck and kicking her feet. "Wow, my fourteen-year-old self would be so jealous of me right now. I had such a crush on you."

"I know," Dai said, raising an eyebrow and turning towards the door.

Mayu assumed he'd decided to walk instead of run to reduce the chance of her throwing up on his nice uniform.

"Yeah, the whole force knew!" somebody called and Mayu blinked as what amounted to raucous laughter for the MPF echoed across the warehouse.

"We used to make bets on how long Dai-san had to live once Shikamaru figured it out," a wry voice said and Mayu glanced over at Yuhui, whose team was moving around her, securing the scene.

She now wore a captain's badge on her shoulder. She'd been promoted within the General Forces two years ago, and there were rumbles about her being the next Chief of Police since Sasuke had made it very clear that he didn't intend to take up that mantle. Of course, they had to wait for a few of the clan elders to kick the bucket, first.

"Shika wouldn't  _kill_ him for it," Mayu said, but she didn't sound sure even to herself. "He is pretty scary, though." She hoped she didn't look as besotted as she felt.

"Right. I think it's time to get you to the hospital," Dai said.

"He's good at sex, too," Mayu announced just as they stepped outside the warehouse. "Like, really good at it," she whispered.

Dai looked up at the sky. "I wonder what I did to piss off the gods this week."

By the time they reached the hospital Dai probably knew more about Shikamaru's prowess in bed than even Hinata. Mayu couldn't help it, though - it seemed like every thought in her brain just flew out of her mouth, and once she started thinking about Shikamaru, it was hard to stop. Even after being married for almost four years. Maybe  _especially_ after being married for four years.

"And he has the cutest mole right on his - mom!" Dai mumbled something that could have been "oh thank god," as Yoshino appeared in front of them.

"Mayu, what happened?" she asked as she motioned for a nurse to get a stretcher.

"Oh, I got kidnapped," Mayu said, blasé. Yoshino's eyes widened, and she hurried to reassure her. "Don't worry! I did it on purpose."

She patted her mom on the arm and blinked slowly, fatigue making her miss the murderous expression on her face.

000

When she woke up, Shikaku was doing paperwork next to her and the early morning light was filling the room. She felt pretty similar to how she did after a night out with Torii, Sakura, and Hinata, and she let out a pitiful moan.

Shikaku lowered his paperwork and raised an eyebrow at her. She noted absently that his hair was greying more quickly now, though it was still thick and shiny. Mayu thought he looked even more dignified with the added lines on his face, and even through her nausea she felt a swell of love for him.

She stuck out her lower lip while he got her some water, and he pushed her hair from her forehead while she took careful sips. When she was done he fussed with her blankets and helped her raise into a sitting position.

She winced when her IV pulled a bit and frowned down at it. Usually she barely even knew they were there, but this one felt like one big bruise. Shikaku followed her gaze and sighed.

"Your mom was not happy when she heard about your latest adventure. She assigned one of the interns to you after making sure you wouldn't die. It took her a few tries to get it in," he said, wry.

"Mean," Mayu muttered, but accepted her punishment. "How long am I stuck here?"

"Just until somebody comes in and checks you over one more time. The drugs shouldn't have any long-term effects, and they ran a bunch of bloodwork to make sure everything checks out."

Mayu nodded, visions of her bed flitting through her mind. Shikaku ran one finger lightly down what was probably a spectacular bruise on her face, then stood. "I'll find your doctor."

The intern that Yoshino had assigned to her was nervous and jumpy, especially when faced with Shikaku's steady gaze. The third time the girl fumbled her kit, Mayu sighed and asked Shikaku to get her some breakfast.

After that, the intern only dropped her supplies once, but Mayu was so ready to leave that she bore with it instead of saying all the things she wanted to. Though, she'd tell her mom that the woman wasn't ready to go solo yet if today was indicative of her usual performance.

Shikaku stuck around her house while she showered, then tucked her into bed like she was twelve instead of twenty-two, but she didn't complain. Especially when he sat down at the desk in her and Shikamaru's room and unsealed paperwork.

She fell asleep to the sound of him working, as content as she could be without her husband next to her.  _Two more days until he's home,_ she told herself and dreamed of lazy smiles and brown eyes.

Mayu had only been awake for about an hour the next day when Fugaku and Chiasa came to see her. Fugaku looked stern and disapproving, but Mayu ignored that in favor of hustling Chiasa into the house and bending over the 'experiment' the girl had brought with her.

"I wanted it to be  _green,_ but it comes out this gross yellow color when it goes off, and -"

"Oh, well, that's because you used too much of this one," Mayu said pointing at the page. "Your inhibitor is also all wrong -"

"Mayu," Fugaku said with a sigh, and she blinked up at him.

"Oh! Right. Tea. Sit down, Fugaku-shishou, you want your usual?"

"That would be fine," he said.

"Mayu-nee, can I play with Beaker?" Chiasa asked, eyes wide and pleading.

"Yeah, I think he's sunning himself in the backyard," Mayu said, smiling at her over her shoulder as she reached for the fancy tea she kept for when Fugaku was over. "After your dad's done talking to me, come tell me how the Academy is going, okay?"

Chiasa sighed. "It's dull," she grumbled, and Fugaku's eyebrow twitched.

Mayu gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, well, I'm sure it's not all bad," she said, though from what she remembered it _was_ kind of boring.

Chiasa, sensing her father's ire, walked gracefully to the door with as much dignity as she could, though she was still in clear view of both of them when she took off across the yard towards an unsuspecting Beaker.

Mayu set the tea in front of Fugaku and unsuccessfully tried to cover a yawn. Whatever they'd given her had been some strong stuff.

Fugaku's sharp eyes took her in, and she knew she still looked overly pale and that the bruise on her face wasn't exactly pretty. She was reasonably sure she'd brushed her hair, at least. Maybe.

"I trust you are feeling well?" he said and she smiled at him, warming at his concern.

"Yeah, I'm good, shishou. Don't worry."

"Hmm," he said, noncommittal. "I suppose you already know what I'm going to say about your 'plan."

Mayu nodded. "Yes. It was reckless, and I didn't follow the plan I outlined for my team."

"Alright. So. Why did you do it, then?" He set down his tea and gave her a level look.

This was a new dynamic to their relationship that didn't exist only a few years ago. Now, Fugaku treated her more like...not an equal, exactly, but less like a wayward student, and was willing to hear her out before lecturing her.

"Um. All the evidence pointed towards the drug traffickers being low level and slightly disorganized. The only reason they hadn't been caught yet is that there was somebody on the inside - the pretty one, she worked for T&I, I'm guessing." She paused, and Fugaku nodded in confirmation.

"Right. Well, I figured, we could capture and interrogate whoever they sent to kidnap me after we placed the bait, or we could let them lead us straight to their partners."

Mayu looked down at her tea, nervous. "I know it was a risk, but I took proper precautions. I summoned Anzu and Momo so that they'd have somebody to track me by scent. I also knew my team would come for me, and that...well, that I was probably strong enough to take on multiple opponents of their level."

Fugaku hummed and she glanced up at him. She thought he might look approving.

"Alright. I can see why you came up with the plan you did. What I don't understand is why you didn't tell your team beforehand."

Mayu wrinkled her nose. "Akito-san would have been a bummer about it," she grumbled, and Fugaku sighed.

"Mayu..."

"I know, Fugaku-shishou. I should have told him. Sorry." She mostly meant it.

He tapped his fingers on the table. "Mayu, I understand that with you there is always going to be a certain level of...chaos."

She glanced up at him and his lips quirked up on one side. "Still, you've come a long way, and your team has consistently had the best solve rate in the force. You've impressed a lot of people. Including me."

Mayu's eyes widened. "Are you dying?" she blurted.

Fugaku sighed. "No, Mayu, I am not dying."

"Oh, good. That's good." She fidgeted under his glare, and after a few moments he leaned back and his expression cleared.

"Next time, you will include your team. Other than that, you did a good job."

Mayu beamed at him, cheeks warming at the praise. "Thanks, shishou."

"Now. What I'm about to tell you isn't common knowledge yet, so keep it to yourself," he said, voice once again severe, and Mayu straightened in interest.

"Yep, will do." Shikamaru didn't count.

"Hayao-san came to me last week. He intends to retire in a year."

Mayu hummed, unsurprised. Hayao wasn't unhappy in the force, exactly, but Mayu thought he might be just a little bored. Which was probably why he and Torii kept having torrid affairs every six months that ended with Torii sulking and Hayao being more of a playboy than usual while he tried to prove that he was a free spirit.

Seriously, Torii needed to find a nice, non-asshole guy to fall in love with and marry. Mayu and Hinata were running out of embarrassing pranks to play on Hayao.

"Okay..." she said.

Fugaku sighed. "Mayu-san. You're the top candidate to take his place."

Mayu's eyes widened. They wanted her to head the department already? She'd thought they would wait until she was at least twenty-five. Her brain raced through to the inevitable, undeniable conclusion.

"Wait...that means that Torii will be my assistant  _for real!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru returns from his mission and is Unimpressed with Mayu's Life Decisions. For like ten seconds before she distracts him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I solemnly swear that this full chapter of fluff and smut is SUPER IMPORTANT to PLOT and THEME. 
> 
> ...

Shikamaru stood under the spray of the shower, shoulders relaxing into the soothing feeling of _home._

He’d gone to Kiri on a diplomatic mission with Itachi and Naruto, and it had been a long two weeks away. Now he was eager to wash off the mud he’d gotten covered in when it started to rain on their way back and then climb into bed with his wife.

It was with that thought in mind that he rinsed the suds out of his hair and stepped out of the shower, then quickly dried off. He hung the towel back up and didn’t bother to pull on pajamas before creeping into the room. Mayu’s back was to him, and she was breathing evenly in a way that he knew meant she was fast asleep.

She’d woken for a moment when he stepped into the room before heading for the shower, but once she realized it was him, mumbled something about drug dealers and fell back to sleep. Shikamaru was still taken off guard sometimes by just how much he could love one person.

He lifted the covers and slid in behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her against him. She was in her usual sleepwear - one of his shirts and a pair of panties, and he ran his bare legs along hers and slipped his hand beneath her shirt.

She stirred when he placed a kiss behind her ear and moved his hand along the soft skin of her flank. Mayu made a content sound and arched her neck to the side to give him better access. He nibbled behind her ear and pressed against her sleep warm body.

“Mmm,” she said, arching back against his erection, which had stood to attention the moment he’d felt her body against his own.

“You smell good,” he said, bringing his hand up to her breast.

She moaned and angled her head back towards him. He accepted her invitation and slotted his lips over hers. Her mouth opened and he slid his tongue inside while her hand came up to tangle in his wet hair. He felt her heartbeat picking up against his hand as she pushed back more firmly against him.

Tingles of pleasure went up his spine, and he moved his hand down the soft skin of her stomach. Her legs spread when it dipped below the band of her underwear, and he groaned with her when his fingers slipped into her.

He pulled his mouth from hers and moved it back to her neck, biting down lightly. She made an impatient noise and reached down to push her underwear down her thighs, kicking her legs until they were off. His dick slid between her cheeks, the skin warm and welcoming.

She rolled her hips as he pulled his fingers from her and moved them up to rub at her clit.

“Shika,” she breathed, arching her body so prettily against him that he lost all patience.

He would take his time with her later, but now he just needed her. He slid a knee between her legs, nudging one of them up. She moaned and lifted her thigh, and he pushed himself up to rest on an elbow while the other hand came around to guide himself into her.

He bit off a curse at the feeling of her warm, wet body pulling him in. Mayu made a happy little mewling sound and turned her face into the pillow. Her hand reached back to rest on his thigh, encouraging him to move. He pulled back and then rocked into her, the pleasure of the motion tightening the muscles of his abdomen and sending goosebumps up and down his spine.

“I missed you,” she gasped. “God, you feel so good. _Please,_ please, I need you to -”

He pulled out and she made a low whining noise in the back of her throat that was fucking adorable. He grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her stomach, and she scrambled to get up on her hands and knees, breath coming in short gasps. Shikamaru pushed the shirt up her back, and she pulled it over her head impatiently.

He took a moment to reach forward and under her to cup her breasts, rolling her nipples lightly between his thumb and forefinger. She said his name, low and pleading, and he sat up, running one hand up her spine.

When he pressed lightly between her shoulder blades she obediently dropped down so that her face was pressed into the pillow. She spread her legs further apart and arched her lower back, and he took a moment to admire how shameless she looked like that.

He then ran his hands up the back of her thighs, resting them on her ass and parting her cheeks. He had to close his eyes at the image she made for fear of coming too soon. She was making small impatient noises, and he decided to stop torturing the both of them.

He lined up and slid back into her, the angle allowing him to press in deeper than when they’d been on their sides.

“Please,” she said, pressing back against him. “Please, Shika, I need you to -”

She cut off on another moan when he pulled halfway out and then slammed his hips forward. She tightened and fluttered around him and a low, rumbling sound escaped him.

“You’re so good, baby,” he said, and was rewarded when she became tighter and wetter around him.

He grabbed her hips, sliding out and then using his grip on her to pull her back against him. The only sounds in the room after that were his low murmurs, their flesh slapping together with every thrust, and her sobs of pleasure while he rode her.

She moved a hand under her to rub at her clit, and when she came around him a few minutes later he couldn’t stop himself from following her over. His fingers clenched on her hips as he held her flush against him, pleasure whiting his vision out.

Afterwards he pulled her close and she pressed her face into his shoulder. He ran one hand up and down her spine while the other was buried in her soft hair. She must have recently had it cut, because in the back it barely reached the nape of her neck.

He kissed the top of her head as the haze of sex faded from his mind. “Sweetheart, let’s go rinse off.”

“'m tired.” she said, and he hummed.

“You know you hate waking up all sticky,” he cajoled.

“...Fine,” she said after a moment of thought.

He helped her out of bed and put his hands on her waist, eyes running over the curve of her hips and the long line of her back, barely visible in the dim light coming in through the window. When they got to the bathroom he wrapped an arm around her and pressed his front to her back, enjoying the feeling of skin against skin as he switched on the light.

He blinked when the brightness hit his eyes, then turned them to meet hers in the mirror above the sink. He drew in a sharp breath when he saw the bruise on her right cheek, and she froze as she realized what he was reacting to.

“Oh,” she laughed and looked away. “Yeah, you know. Criminals. Always fighting back. It feels cold in here. Are you cold?”

He pressed his lips together and forced himself to stay calm. She was the captain of an elite team in the Military Police Force. Of course she was going to get banged up sometimes. After fifteen years of knowing her he should be used to her getting in and out of sticky situations. Maybe in another fifteen it would stop making his heart turn over in his chest.

He sighed and followed her into the shower. He waited until she’d rinsed off before cupping her chin in one hand and turning her face so he could see the bruise more clearly.

“You purposely didn’t let me see this earlier,” he said, voice clipped as he remembered the way she’d kept her face turned into the pillow.

Mayu shrugged, unrepentant. “I wanted you to finish what you started before you got all overprotective.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and glowered at the bruise. “At least tell me the person who did this is dead.”

“Worse,” Mayu said, smiling up at him. “Shishou beat him up and interrogated him, and now he’s stuck in the Long Term Detention Cells.”

Shikamaru grumbled but decided that the man really had gotten what was coming to him. Shikamaru was _still_ a little terrified of Uchiha Fugaku, and it had been years since he’d last given him a shovel talk.

Even after marrying Mayu he was still afraid Fugaku would one day decide to exact revenge for their pre-marriage ‘dalliances,’ and yes, he had actually used the word dalliances. How Mayu could love the man so much was beyond Shikamaru.

“So what happened?” he asked a little too casually as he took his turn under the warm spray of water. He was immediately suspicious when her eyes darted away from his.

“Oh, heh, funny story...” he raised an eyebrow, and she mumbled something as she fumbled with the shower curtain, intent on escape.

He reached out and took her arm in a light grip. “I’m sorry...did you just say you got kidnapped _on purpose?”_

She turned towards him and looked down at her feet, actually scuffing one on the shower floor - the one that still had all its toes. He knew she was trying to distract him by being adorable, but it wouldn’t work. Well. Not much, anyway.

“Want to have sex?” she said, and looked up at him from under her lashes. His dick twitched. Dammit.

“No, Mayu, I don’t want to have sex,” he lied. “I want to know why you got kidnapped _on_ _purpose.”_

“Well, it was the fastest way to find their hideout,” she said, as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world and he was overreacting.

He took a deep breath and ignored her pout.

“You’re mad,” she said mournfully, and his eyes narrowed when she tilted her head to the side, the picture of innocence.

“Guess you’ll have to punish me,” she finished, and dropped to her knees in front of him.

“Mayu, you can’t just -” he choked as her nose hit his public hair and she swallowed around him. His hand fisted in her hair and his hips twitched forward.

As he held her down on the bathroom floor and fucked into her a few minutes later, taking in her glazed eyes and swollen, parted lips, he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d gotten herself kidnapped just to push him into some rough sex. He pressed her knees against her chest and gave a particularly hard thrust. She sobbed out his name as she came, shaking her head from side to side and scrabbling at the cold tile floor.

The sad slash wonderful thing about it was that it really wouldn’t surprise him if she’d done exactly that.

They slept in the next day with her curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder, which had a tiny puddle of drool on it as a result. He traced a finger-shaped bruise he’d left on her thigh, knowing that she’d probably see it later and get turned on all over again. Shikamaru kissed her temple and decided he must have been a saint in a past life.

They ended up staying in that day, Mayu curled on his lap in one of his shirts, scribbling away in a notebook while he read. He didn’t have to leave the village much anymore, and it was jarring to not see each other at least in passing once a day now.

Both of them worked long and sometimes strange hours, but generally they were good about making time for one another. When they were separated for long periods, they tended to be clingy for a few days after.

That evening they wandered over to their parents’ house for dinner. Kakashi and Ensui were already there, Kakashi eye-smiling at Mayu. She made a distressed noise and hid behind Shikamaru.

“See if you can talk any sense into her,” Shikamaru grumbled. “Maybe something along the lines of ‘getting kidnapped is not a legitimate form of police work.’”

Kakashi nodded amiably and dragged Mayu into the living room. Shikamaru ignored Ensui’s raised eyebrow and made his way into the kitchen to see if his mother needed help.

“Ten seconds,” Ensui said, following him into the kitchen.

“What?” Shikamaru asked, though he already knew where this was going.

“I figure, that’s about as long as you held out with your disappointed face before she had you wrapped around her finger again.”

Shikamaru scowled at him but didn’t really have a response to that because, well, it was fairly accurate. Ensui laughed and Yoshino rolled her eyes before putting them both to work.

“So Hayao-san says he’s gonna retire in a year or so,” Mayu said later that night while they were eating.

“Oh?” Yoshino said. “Does he want to go back into the regular jounin forces?”

Mayu shrugged. “Probably.”

Something in her voice had Shikamaru glancing up at her. She fiddled with her chopsticks and cleared her throat.

“Yeah, well, shishou says that...I’ll probably be replacing him. As Head of the Investigations Department. If I don’t, you know, blow up the administration building on accident before that or something.”

All movement at the table stopped, and then Shikamaru set his chopsticks down and turned to pull her against him. She squeaked in surprise as he pushed his lips against hers before making a content noise and leaning into it.

He pulled back, aware of their audience, and took in her smile and red cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? That’s amazing,” he said. She was so perfect that sometimes he couldn’t believe that she was _his._

“Oh, sweetheart, that’s great!” Yoshino was beaming.

Kakashi tossed her some candy and Ensui leaned across the table to ruffle her hair. Shikaku was watching her with a steady, warm gaze, and when she glanced at him his lips turned up into a smile.

“I’m proud of you,” he said, and Mayu beamed.

“Well, I think this calls for some sake,” Yoshino said brusquely to hide how bright her eyes had gotten.

That night Shikamaru took his time with her, worshipping her with his lips and hands until she was begging him to just _take her_ already. Every touch and kiss and thrust was gentle, and when she came apart under him, his only thought was that he was the luckiest man alive.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayu proves that she can be spectacularly, stubbornly oblivious at times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for ridiculousness. :D

Mayu rubbed her temples, closing her eyes and trying to will her headache away.

“Are you okay, Mayu-chan?” Hinata asked in a low voice from her desk.

She dropped her hands and smiled at her, knowing she probably looked as tired as she felt.

“Yeah. I think I’m just coming down with something,” she admitted because Hinata knew her well enough by now that she couldn’t lie to her. Well, not easily.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been tired lately,” Hinata said, brow furrowed. “Maybe you should take the rest of the day off.”

Mayu flapped her hand at her. “No, I’ve only got an hour left, and then I’m going to meet up with Team Kakashi tonight. I have tomorrow off, though,” she rushed to add as Hinata looked even more concerned. “I’ll take it easy, drink lots of tea. I _promise.”_

Hinata relaxed at that, and Mayu decided not to mention that she’d be doing all of that in her lab. She had an idea for a gadget that would help the General Forces when they were trying to apprehend criminals that she was hoping to finish before the end of the week.

Torii wandered by a few minutes later, eyes half-lidded and a small smile on his face. He was carrying a pile of folders under one arm and staring into space, not even hearing the officer who greeted him with a polite “lieutenant,” when they passed. 

“No!” Mayu gasped, headache forgotten in favor of glaring at Torii, whose attention had been pulled by her dramatic yell.

That dopey expression was the one he wore when he had just gotten laid. She also knew that he didn’t sleep with somebody that he wasn’t emotionally attached to, and she hadn’t seen him mooning over anybody except Hayao in, well, ever.

She stood and grabbed his arm, dragging him across the bullpen towards an empty conference room. Nobody even looked up from what they were doing, as this was a fairly common sight at the MPF. When they got there she closed the door behind her and spun to glare at a bemused Torii, putting her hands on her hips.

“Torii, I cannot believe you. Did you sleep with Hayao-san again? Hinata and I are completely out of revenge schemes, we’re going to have to start reusing old material, and that’s just embarrassing -”

She cut herself off when her vision darkened around the edges and she swayed. Her hand reached out to grab a chair and missed, and nausea rose in her throat.

Gentle hands grasped her arms and helped her lower into a chair before she could fall, then lightly pushed her head down between her knees. She took deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth for a while until the dizziness faded, though the nausea stayed.

When she sat up Torii was kneeling in front of her; folders abandoned on the table. His brow was pinched as he studied her, and she leaned back, feeling clammy and shaky.

“Mayu, have you eaten today?” he asked.

“Yes.”

She frowned. Wait, maybe the memory of eating lunch was actually from yesterday.

“Um. I had some toast this morning?”

Her stomach roiled at the thought of food, but Torii was already sighing and standing.

“Wait here,” he ordered, striding out of the room in all his medic glory.

Mayu closed her eyes again, feeling drained. Maybe she had picked up a bug - she’d been so tired the past few weeks. Torii returned with an pear in his hand. He held it out, the sweet smell wafting to her nose as he did so.

“Alright, eat this -” Mayu dove out of her chair and made it to the garbage can by the door just in time to heave into it.

“Charming,” Torii muttered, then knelt next to her and pulled her hair back.

She ignored him in favor of expelling more bile into the garbage can, miserable tears forming in the corners of her eyes. After a few minutes, her stomach settled and she sat back, panting.

“Alright,” Torii soothed in his Medic Voice. “Come sit down, there you go. I’m going to tell your team you have the flu, and then I’ll take you home, okay?”

Mayu nodded, and he wandered out. She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. That wasn’t the first time she’d thrown up that week, though it was the first time it’d happened in front of somebody else. Shikamaru had a ton of diplomatic meetings with a contingent from Kiri that week and had only been coming home to sleep and shower, so he hadn’t noticed.

It was easy enough to sneak off to the bathroom at MPF and slap down a privacy seal if she had to do it there. The dizziness, however, was new, and she supposed her body was telling her to take a break.

Torii walked her home, then fussed over her when they got there. He brought her liquids and crackers and settled her into her bed. She fell asleep immediately after downing the glass of juice he’d brought her.

When she woke up a few hours later, she was feeling much better. The crackers next to her made her stomach rumble, so she ate them, and then went downstairs and had a sandwich, too.

“Huh,” she said when no dizziness or nausea hit.

It must have been a reaction to not eating that day or something. If she hurried, she could still make team practice. She brushed her teeth and threw on a pair of thick black pants and a long-sleeved shirt, then put her flak jacket on over it.

She latched her scroll belt across her hips as she dashed across the roofs, landing in the training grounds just as Kakashi arrived. She was out of breath from the small run, but she ignored that in favor of pouncing on Sasuke.

He made an annoyed noise and tried to push her off, and a moment later Sakura joined the scuffle. Soon the two of them had him facedown in the dirt while Mayu gleefully dropped grass clippings in his hair. A moment later he disappeared in a poof of smoke, and they both fell forward, grasping at each other to keep from doing their own faceplants.

Mayu stuck her lip out. “Shadow clone. Lame,” she muttered as Sasuke sauntered up to them, looking entirely too smug.

She wished Naruto wasn’t stuck in meetings today learning how to be diplomatic with Itachi. He was always good for some Sasuke baiting.

“Like you’d ever succeed in getting me down on the ground,” he said.

Mayu bristled in affront and opened her mouth to say something scathing, but Kakashi stepped forward from where he’d been talking to Yamato.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Today we’re going to do a free for all,” he chirped, and they all perked up as he held up a little flag with a cartoon dog on the front.

“I’m going to place this flag somewhere in the forest. Whoever retrieves it first wins, and gets to choose where we eat. Bye,” he said with a finger wave and disappeared.

They all exchanged glances before dashing after him. They separated in the forest, each of them fading back into the shadows. Mayu increased the chakra flow to her nose and ears as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch. It took awhile, but eventually she caught a whiff of her wayward sensei and turned in that direction.

She was starting to feel a little tired again but figured that the exercise wouldn’t last too long, and she could probably opt out of the sparring that she was sure they would do after their game was over. She didn’t want to stop playing since she hardly ever got to practice with her old team nowadays.

When she located the flag, sitting innocently on top of a large felled tree, she spent some time hidden in a group of bushes, carefully listening and sniffing for any of her other teammates.

When everything remained still, she unsealed Bukimi from her scroll, then sent him scurrying out across the clearing towards the flag. She barely reacted in time for him to dodge a fireball from Sasuke a few seconds later, who had appeared at the edge of the clearing.

Mayu then squeaked and rolled out of the way when Sakura dropped down from the tree above her, smashing the ground where she’d just been sitting. While Bukimi avoided Sasuke’s lightning attack and then skittered towards the flag again, Mayu did a few hand signs and slapped the ground, and Sakura stumbled when the earth beneath her feet softened.

Mayu let out a small curse when Yamato flipped out of a tree across the clearing and shushinned towards the flag. She tossed a Mayu Cocktail at Sakura and then did her own shushin, landing in front of Yamato.

She leaned back to avoid a punch from the man, then turned to the side and lashed out with a kick. He dodged it, and she followed up with a hail of kicks and punches, turning half her attention to Sasuke, who dodged around Bukimi’s Rolling Thunder attack to grab for the flag.

Sakura popped out of the ground and sent him flying with a punch to his middle. His eyes had gone comically wide before he sailed back across the clearing. Mayu would have to remember to high five Sakura later for the move.

Mayu pulled out her daggers and lit them with flame, sending one long rope of fire extending from the one in her left hand towards Sakura to stop her before she could get to the flag, and the other at Yamato, who just flipped over the top of it.

Wood erupted from the earth next to her and Mayu jumped straight up into the air, sheathing her daggers and pulling Bukimi next to her. She then made a sign and shuddered as her chakra was halved, and a shadow clone of herself appeared.

In retrospect, it had been a mistake to use that jutsu when she was feeling under the weather. She blinked rapidly as her vision once again blackened and she lost all control of her limbs. She could feel the air pulling at her clothes as she rushed back down towards the earth, and heard the clatter of her puppet hitting the ground.

She was saved by her own shadow clone, which she distantly thought was kind of awesome. It caught her and set her down carefully before dispersing, and Mayu was left with the uncomfortable memory of seeing herself slacken in the air before falling like a rag doll.

 _Okay, no more attending Team Kakashi practices when ill,_ she thought to herself.

When she blinked her eyes open - she must have fully lost consciousness for a bit - Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi were leaning over her. She croaked in alarm at how close their faces were to hers and tried to sit up.

Another wave of disorientation hit, and Sasuke’s arm darted out to wrap around her shoulders before she could fall back to the ground.

“Ugh,” she said. “I think I might throw up again.”

“What do you mean, again?” Sakura asked, putting a hand to her forehead and frowning.

“I’ve been feeling a little sick off and on this week,” Mayu admitted.

Kakashi made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. “You should’ve told me before practice.”

Mayu shrugged and leaned against Sasuke, fatigue dragging at her. “I was going to send you a message and cancel earlier, but after a nap, I felt fine, so...”

Sakura was running through a familiar set of field diagnostics.

“You don’t seem like you have a virus,” she muttered, running green lit hands over the glands at Mayu’s throat.

“Really? Huh, maybe I’m just tired,” she said, and Sakura shook her head.

“I don’t know; your blood pressure really dropped,” she said as she moved her hands to hover over her heart. “I think you should come with me to the hospital and let me do a full exam and draw some blood.”

Mayu wrinkled her nose, but Kakashi was nodding, and Sasuke had grunted his agreement, so she knew there was no fighting it. She let Sasuke keep an arm around her after she stood, since she was still dizzy, and waved apologetically to Yamato.

“Sorry to hijack practice, Yamato-san,” she said while Kakashi went to gather up Bukimi and seal him into his scroll for her.

They got along much better now that he was dating a nice chunin from the missions desk and no longer staring longingly after Kakashi.

“It’s no problem, Mayu-san. I hope everything is okay.”

Mayu rolled her eyes. “It’s fine, you know how medics are, they get worked up over nothing - ow! What kind of medic pinches a _sick patient,_ Sakura -”

They hustled her to the hospital and into an exam room, and Mayu was relieved when a nurse informed them that Yoshino was in surgery. Kakashi and Sasuke were already hovering outside the room as she changed into a gown, she didn’t need another person overreacting to her having the flu _,_ seriously.

Sakura handed her a familiar-looking cup when she popped her head in, and Mayu sighed but obediently wandered into the bathroom to pee into it. Sakura plucked it from her hands a little too eagerly, in Mayu’s opinion, then left, saying she’d just go and run the tests right now.

Kakashi and Sasuke came into the room to keep her company while she waited, though she spent most of the time dozing and breathing through another bout of nausea. She wondered if Shikamaru would be home tonight and whether she should stay at Ensui’s or her parents if he wouldn’t. She could use some gruff fussing and petting right about now.

Sasuke was bitching about his most recent clan meeting when the door opened. Mayu took in Sakura’s wide eyes and wringing hands with trepidation. She closed the door behind her and cleared her throat.

“You figured out why I’m not feeling well?” Mayu asked.

“Um. Yes. Maybe - maybe Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun should leave the room.” They both stiffened, and Mayu swallowed.

“Oh my god, am I dying? I don’t want to die! Shika and I haven’t even roleplayed through the second half of _Icha Icha Makeout’s_ sex scenes yet!”

Kakashi made a low, pained sound in his throat and Sasuke grimaced.

“Even on your deathbed you can’t keep it to yourself,” he grumbled, but Mayu ignored him in favor of panicking.

“If I die, Shikamaru will have to remarry! I don’t want him to remarry!” Her vision was starting to darken around the edges again, and Sakura darted forward.

“You’re not dying, Mayu! Calm down! You’re not even sick. Uh, not really.”

Mayu blinked, then looked at Sakura, whose eyes kept darting to her stomach and then back to her face. She narrowed her eyes. Did she have some sort of parasite living in her stomach?

“Just tell me. If you kick Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei out now, they’ll just do something ridiculous in an attempt to eavesdrop.”

They didn’t bother to deny this claim or look repentant about it. Sakura sighed.

“Mayu, do you mind if I do one more test to confirm?”

Mayu sighed explosively but was honestly feeling too sick to complain much. She motioned for her to continue, and Sakura stepped forward. She laid the thin, rough blanket over Mayu’s waist, then lifted the hospital gown to reveal her stomach.

She then put her hand over her abdomen, brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment she cleared her throat and dropped her hand to her side. Mayu was starting to get a very, very bad feeling about this.

“Okay, that confirms it.” Sakura took a deep breath, and Sasuke and Kakashi leaned forward. “Mayu...you’re pregnant.”

For the second time that day, Mayu lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku's day takes a turn for the dramatic, and why does everybody keep telling Mayu to calm down? She's calm, okay, she's totally calm. 
> 
> ...is that Fugaku's murder face?

“Mayu, calm down,” Sakura said, and Mayu glared at her.

“How am I supposed to be calm?”

Her voice was bordering on hysterical, and both Kakashi and Sasuke had retreated to the other side of the room. Kakashi had been stiff and silent since Sakura’s announcement, and Mayu thought he was probably working through his shock. It was hard to tell with him.  

Sasuke had just muttered, “There goes the last bit of peace in this village,” then gone ominously silent as he watched Sakura try and fail to soothe Mayu.

“This is a disaster! How did this even happen? I’m on birth control - I didn’t miss my last shot, I know I didn’t!”

Sakura reached out and grabbed her hand. “I don’t know. Sometimes if you take other medications, it can nullify the effects of birth control. You’re about two months along - did you take any prescription drugs around that time?”

“What? No! I haven’t been sick since I was ten and got lost in the forest trying to find - you know what, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t been taking any drugs, prescription or other...wise...” she trailed off as realization hit.

“When I let those criminals kidnap me, I was drugged. But - but wouldn’t your staff have known that it would make my birth control stop working? It was a standard drug used by T&I. What kind of operation are you people running, here?”

Mayu sat up and grabbed Sakura’s collar, giving her a little shake. She knew in the back of her mind that the only thing keeping her from being pummeled for the action was the fact that she was pregnant.

Sakura gritted her teeth and pulled Mayu’s hands away from her collar.

“I’m going to take some blood to make sure there’s nothing strange behind your fainting episodes, and then I’ll go get your records and see if I can’t figure this out. Then, we’ll do an ultrasound.”

Mayu remained limp while she took her blood. Sakura turned to Kakashi and Sasuke before she left, vials in hand.

“Don’t let her out of this room,” she threatened.

Mayu stared up at the ceiling, mind racing through the implications of what she’d just learned.

“I’m going to lose my promotion, and maybe even get kicked out of Investigations,” she said, voice shaking as tears gathered in her eyes. “And the Nara elders are going to push for me to retire, even though the assholes know I won’t do it, and -”

Sasuke appeared next to her and flicked her forehead. She looked over at him, eyes wide. He was giving her his most long-suffering _why_ _do I hang out with you,_ face.

“I think you forget who the Chief of Police is,” he said. “You know my father won’t let anybody push you out of the MPF if you don’t want to leave. He and I are already working on new policies for maternity leave for when Yuhui and I are ready to have children. As for the Nara elders - you and Shikamaru can handle them. Calm down.”

Mayu took a deep, shuddering breath, and Kakashi made a noise from across the room. When she looked over, he was eye-smiling at her.

“You aren’t alone, Mayu-chan. It’s okay.”

Mayu blinked rapidly and looked up at the ceiling again. Right. It was fine. Even if she and Shikamaru hadn’t been planning on having children for at least another few years. Her fist clenched at her side. What would Shikamaru say? He was so busy lately.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sakura came back in, pushing a cart with an ultrasound machine on top ahead of her. There was a stack of files perched next to it, and Mayu grimaced at just how many folders she had in her medical records.

“Alright,” Sakura said brusquely, all of her earlier discomfort gone as she went into medic mode. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.”

She opened the folder on top and looked through it, frowning. “Hmm. It says here that the birth control shot was re-administered just before you checked out of the hospital.”

Mayu huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as Kakashi pressed the button on the bed that would lift her into a seated position.

“I think I’d remember that. The intern that did my check out exam was awful. She kept...dropping stuff...” her eyes widened, and she met Sakura’s horrified gaze.

“That - that idiot  _dropped my birth control!”_ she shrieked. “She didn’t administer it because it was on the floor!”

The color drained from Sakura’s face as she looked between the file and Mayu. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry, Mayu. I’ll bring this to Tsunade-shishou’s attention immediately.”

“How is that helpful?” she yelled, then laid back with a moan as she was overcome with vertigo.

“Why does she keep passing out?” Sasuke asked Sakura as Mayu blinked her eyes to try and clear the spots in her vision.

“I’m not sure. Her blood work is running now, and I’m going to do a quick ultrasound to make sure the pregnancy isn’t ectopic. Mayu,” Sakura hesitated, and Mayu brought her attention back to her.

“If you think you might want to terminate the pregnancy, then I’d suggest not looking during the ultrasound. It can make things difficult.”

Mayu stared at her, uncomprehending for a good five seconds. Then what Sakura was saying clicked, and her eyes narrowed in thought.

That’s right; kunoichi weren’t required to go through with a pregnancy unless there were clan laws applied. Which the Nara didn’t have, despite their tendency to be traditional in other ways; most likely because the women in it would make everybody’s lives hell if they tried to enforce it.

Through her panic, part of her mind had been working up images of tiny little Shikamaru lookalikes with blue hair or grey eyes dozing like cats in the sun. Her hand moved to her stomach. Even if this was terrible timing and she didn’t feel ready...this baby was made, in part, by Shikamaru, the person she loved best in the world. There was no way Mayu could go through with a termination.

“I - no,” she said. “I don’t think so. Thank you, though, Sakura.”

Sakura patted her hand, and Mayu glanced over at Kakashi and Sasuke, who both looked carefully neutral.

“Do you want somebody to go get Shikamaru?” Sakura asked as she handed Sasuke the plug to put into the wall.

Mayu hesitated, then shook her head. “No, he’s in diplomatic meetings. Plus, I’d rather wait to tell him until we know everything is okay,” she said, stomach fluttering in nerves.

“Alright,” Sakura said, and patted her hand again before pushing her gown back up from where it’d fallen.

Mayu wrinkled her nose when she put cold gel over her stomach and then watched in interest as Sakura clicked through the settings on the machine with sure, practiced motions. She put the wand to Mayu’s abdomen, and Kakashi and Sasuke crowded around when Sakura made a small noise in the back of her throat.

“Oh, look at that.”

Mayu studied the dot on the screen, unimpressed with how un-baby-like it looked. In fact, it was shaped vaguely like a...peanut, maybe? Mayu squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the side. A moment later, Sakura pressed another button, and the sound of a rapid heartbeat filled the air.

Mayu’s eyes widened and darted over to Kakashi, whose eye looked suspiciously damp. Sasuke was smiling at the screen, and Mayu realized he would probably be the most excited about this out of everybody on her old genin team. He loved babies, after all.

“Everything looks just fine,” Sakura said a few minutes later and beamed at Mayu as she wiped the gel off her stomach. “I think the reason you keep fainting is because of a condition called vasovagal syncope. It happens to some women during pregnancy.

“Basically, when you get overly stressed, your vagus nerve becomes stimulated, and it causes your blood pressure to drop. Usually, it doesn’t present until later in the pregnancy, but you’ve always been a little...high strung.”

She paused there, and Sasuke and Kakashi gave her disbelieving looks at the blatant understatement. She cleared her throat.

“Anyway, it’s nothing to worry about. Just take it easy, and you’ll be fine.”

Mayu sat back against her pillows as the reality of her situation hit her hard.

“So. I’m going to have a baby. In - seven months.”

“Give or take,” Sakura said cheerfully.

“Oh god,” Mayu said, then leaned over and threw up all over the floor.

000

She ended up leaving the hospital on Kakashi’s back, moaning pitifully into his shoulder. Sakura had run off to tell Tsunade about the Worst Intern Ever after giving Mayu a plethora of instructions that amounted to: stop doing everything that makes you happy, right now. She’d also shoved a prescription for prenatal vitamins into Sasuke’s hands, who’d taken it with the same look of determination that he did a mission scroll.

“How am I supposed to function without my lab or going out into the field for seven months? My life is over; I’ll officially never be Head of the Investigations Department,” she wailed as they exited the hospital.

Shikaku was standing on the steps, leaning against the railing and trying and failing to look like he hadn’t been waiting for them. Of course, the gossip mill had already let him know that Mayu had been taken to the hospital.

“What do you mean, your life is over?” he said, taking a step forward and looking alarmed.

“Dad,” Mayu said, and her tears started flowing more quickly.

Kakashi glared at the few people who were watching the scene with interest, and they hastily took a few steps back to give them privacy.

She wriggled off of Kakashi’s back and stumbled over to Shikaku. He opened his arms and let her collapse against his chest. She could practically hear Sasuke’s eye roll.

“She’s not dying,” he said. “She’s just being dramatic.”

Mayu spun on him, enraged. “Oh, that’s so easy for you to say! All you men have to do is stand around and watch while we do all the work and make _all the sacrifices!”_

She shrieked the last part, and he stepped back, expression alarmed. Then she swayed in place, and Shikaku scrambled to catch her.

“Mayu, Sakura told you to be calm -” Kakashi started to say in a low, soothing tone.

“You be calm,” she snapped, cutting him off, and Sasuke sighed.

“I’m going to go get your prenatal vitamins. I’ll meet you at your house,” he said and escaped to the roofs.

“...Did he say prenatal vitamins?” Shikaku asked, sounding dazed even as he picked Mayu up.

She just made a sad little squeaking noise against his shoulder, and Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I just remembered I have to - plants. Watering.” He disappeared in a whorl of leaves.

Shikaku was left holding Mayu on the steps of the hospital, blinking rapidly and trying to figure out where the pleasant day he’d been having had gone.

000

Mayu sat on the couch, wringing her hands and attempting to keep her stress levels down. It didn’t help that Shikaku was hovering, looking more lost than she felt.

Tomorrow she’d have to inform Hayao that she’d need to be taken off of active duty. She was supposed to start training her replacement in a few months. How was she supposed to train the young Aburame she’d had her eye on to take over as captain of the IIU when she wasn’t even allowed in the field? This whole situation was a disaster. Of course, Shikamaru was late getting home, and she was just...freaking out.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, breaking the silence. “I’m not exactly mother material.”

The couch cushion sank next to her as Shikaku sat and put an arm around her. He tugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

“Nah. All parents think that at first, but you’ll do fine. You’re going to be great at it. You’ll have the smartest kid in the Elemental Nations, and they’ll cause just as much trouble, if not more than you did.”

Mayu snorted. “The elders will love that.”

“They’ve probably already called an emergency meeting,” he said, and she giggled, feeling a little better.

“You’ll help?” she asked and glanced over at him.

“Of course. Your mom and I will be here every step of the way. Ensui too, I’m sure. And you’ve got your friends.”

Mayu nodded and took a deep breath. Before she could respond, the front door opened. She stood abruptly, once again wringing her hands as the sounds of Shikamaru calling a greeting and taking off his shoes reached her.

Shikaku stood just as Shikamaru entered the living room, looking exhausted.

“Hey, sweetheart, sorry I’m late - oh, hi, dad.”

His eyes, which had deep bags under them, darted between the two of them. His brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m guessing you didn’t talk to anybody after getting out of your meetings,” Shikaku said, voice wry.

“No - why? Did something happen?”

He took a few more steps into the room.

“Well, I’m going to head home,” Shikaku said instead of answering, then leaned over and kissed Mayu’s temple. “You need anything, you come over, alright?”

She nodded, though her eyes stayed on Shikamaru, who was starting to look alarmed. Neither of them moved after the door shut behind Shikaku.

“Sweetheart,” he said slowly. “You’re kinda freaking me out, here.”

“I - I -” she cleared her throat and tried to calm her heartbeat.

The last thing she needed was to faint again or throw up. Ugh, her little peanut was already causing so many problems. He crossed the room and took her hands in his own to still their fidgeting.

“You can tell me anything; you know that,” he said, voice low and urgent.

She took a deep breath and forced her thoughts to calm. He was right. This was Shikamaru; they were partners, she could depend on him. When her voice came out, it was still shaking, but clear.

“I’m pregnant,” she said.

He froze, eyes going wide and lips parting in shock. His hands went slack around hers, and then he just stared at her. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, and it made a lump rise in her throat as her anxiety peaked.

“It was an accident. The drugs that those kidnappers gave me nullified my birth control. Then mom gave me an intern to punish me with - you know I find their fumbling annoying - and she messed up and didn’t administer it and -”

A finger on her lips stopped her rambling, and she looked up at him. His face cleared, then went blank, and he was now studying her intently. She swallowed.

“Do you want to keep it?” he asked, and her eyes widened as one hand moved to cover her abdomen.

“I - of course, I do. It’s yours and mine, I -” he cut her off with a fierce kiss, and she squeaked in surprise.

Shikamaru pulled back and put his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “Thank god,” he whispered, then dropped to his knees.

She blinked down at him as he pushed her shirt up and kissed her stomach.

“Uh,” she said, even as one hand moved to rest lightly on his head.

“I would have supported you no matter what, but I’m glad,” he said, looking up at her.

“Oh,” she said, and gave him a hesitant smile.

“You’re going to be perfect,” he whispered at her stomach, and she swallowed at the adoration that was already on his face.

“It’s only two months along,” she warned. “But Sakura said it seems healthy.”

“Good,” he said and smiled up at her. “That’s good.”

He stood and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her sweetly.

“Do you need anything?” he asked as he pulled back. “Have you eaten?”

“Yeah,” she said, limp with relief at his reaction to the news. “Sasuke brought me something earlier. There are leftovers if you’re hungry.”

He just hummed and pulled her against him. She relaxed into his hold, the fear that had been gripping her for hours, vice-like, fading.

“I just - I’m drained. Can we lay down?”

He made a concerned noise in the back of his throat, and she let him lead her back into the bedroom. She watched, fond, as he undressed her. He moved to get her pajamas where she’d tossed them at the end of the bed that morning, and she held up a hand to stop him.

“Actually, I kinda smell like sweat and hospital. Can we take a bath first?”

A few minutes later she lay against his chest, half asleep in the warmth of the water as he ran his hands up and down her sides.

“‘M not gonna quit my job,” she said, and he paused before resuming the calming motions.

“I figured,” he said smoothly.

“The elders will make a fuss,” she pressed, and his chest vibrated under her cheek with his low laughter.

“It’s okay; they like making a fuss. You’ll be doing them a favor.”

“But...who will take care of the baby during the day?”

He hummed. “A lot of active shinobi get nannies. I’m sure I can find somebody within the clan.”

Mayu bit her lip. “It doesn’t upset you?”

“Nah. Why would it? It’s not like I married you thinking that you’d magically morph into somebody who wanted to stay at home with the kids at some point.”

He tipped her chin up, and she stared up at him as he smiled. “Don’t worry so much, my Mayu. We’ll figure it out.”

She leaned up and kissed him. She sighed against his lips when he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, then opened her mouth so he could lick into it. It was slow and languorous and not going anywhere beyond kissing, but the reassurance of his closeness was exactly what she had needed.

She settled back onto his chest after they pulled apart, and he made a sound of contentment. He roused her from a light doze a few minutes later, then helped her out of the bath and dried her off, running the towel gently over her skin.

She could barely keep her eyes open as he helped her into a t-shirt, and he’d only just curled around her, placing his hand over her stomach and tugging her close, when she fell asleep.

She slept through the night, waking only when Shikamaru climbed out of bed to head in for his last day of meetings with the Kiri diplomats.

“No,” she muttered petulantly, reaching for him, and he laughed and kissed her forehead.

“Sorry, sweetheart. They’re leaving tomorrow, and I’ll try and take some time off for a few days after, alright?”

She stuck out her lower lip, but let him go.

“Fine. Stupid Kiri,” she said.

“Rest up today, okay?” he whispered, and she nodded groggily.

Mayu slept for a few more hours, finally rolling out of bed when her stomach decided it was ready to be fed right _now._ She used the bathroom and made a half-hearted attempt to tame her hair, which was a little crazy thanks to falling asleep on it while it was wet, then wandered downstairs in sweats and a t-shirt.

She only made it through a piece of toast before she was running for the bathroom.

“Make up your mind,” she said, glaring down at her stomach. “Either you want food, or you don’t.”

She brushed her teeth and settled onto the couch with a book - sans her usual morning cup of tea because pregnancy was an exercise in misery - and tried not panic. When distracting herself didn’t work, she decided to meditate.

Her mind cave was a mess. She sighed and reached for a folder labeled _Nara clan forces Mayu to quit the MPF,_ and got to work.

When she was finished convincing her psyche that all of those worst-case scenarios floating around her brain were not, in fact, likely to happen _(no, Shikamaru won’t leave you for a thinner, non-pregnant Kiri diplomat),_ she was able to nibble on some crackers and then take a nap. When she woke up, she had no idea what to do with herself.

Usually, she’d head for her lab, but Sakura had been very clear on what a terrible idea it was for pregnant women to do chemistry. She could go to Akinobu’s shop, but her ridiculous fainting spells and power tools didn’t seem like a good combination.

“You’re going to be a complete pain, aren’t you?” she said to the tiny being taking up residence in her uterus.

She sighed and went to her room to pull on pants and a tank top. She may as well get the conversation with Hayao out of the way. Speaking of Hayao...she never had gotten around to chewing Torii out for going down that road again.

She glowered at nothing as she made her way to the MPF. She stepped inside the cool air of the building, waving to a few officers and frowning when she saw that they were giving her furtive, sad glances. Her whole team was off rotation, so they weren’t in, but she greeted Dai, who did a double take before standing and crossing over to her.

“Mayu-san. Should you be up and about?”

Mayu’s eyes widened. Crap, did everybody know already? She knew it was only a matter of time, but she’d just found out yesterday, for god’s sake.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking around despite, _you know,_ Dai-san,” she said and rolled her eyes.

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the floor, then cleared his throat.

“If - if there’s anything I can do, just let me know. I know the rest of the force feels the same way.”

Mayu gaped at him as he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed before heading back to his desk. Was this usually how pregnant women were treated? Like they were something tragic? She didn’t remember anybody looking so sad when Mikoto was carrying Chiasa.

“Mayu,” Fugaku called, and she perked up and turned towards where he was standing in the doorway to his office, a frown line between his brows.

“Hey, shishou,” she said and made her way over to his door.

“I thought it was your day off.”

His eyes moved over her, assessing. She wondered if she looked any different to him. She didn’t feel different, other than being more tired than usual. Well, and the constant puking.

“Yeah, but I needed to talk to Hayao-sama about something - oh, okay, sure, I can come in and talk for awhile,” she said as he lightly grabbed her arm and led her inside his office before closing the door, then herded her towards a chair.

“Um,” she said as he pulled another one over and sat down across from her.

“I’ve heard some rumors,” he said, expression closed off, and she deflated.

“Oh, yeah, that. Well, I uh, I guess that they’re true.” She winced when an expression of devastation crossed his face before going back to his usual blank facade.

“I’m really sorry, Fugaku-shishou, I know you wanted me to take over as the Head of the Department, but I’m not supposed to go out in the field right now -”

He held up a hand, and she blinked as he took a deep breath. Then he pulled her in for a hug, and she squeaked, arms flailing.

“How long?” he asked, voice gruff, and she was torn between concern and joy at getting such an enthusiastic hug from Fugaku.

“Um, seven months, give or take?”

“I see,” he said, and when he pulled back, she caught a glimpse of red in his eyes. “I understand that you probably want to spend as much time with your family as possible, so we’ll put your resignation through immediately.”

“My what?” she yelped, coming out of her warm post-Fugaku-hug haze.

“Is there truly nothing to be done?”

She paused at the absurdity of that question, taking a moment to study Fugaku. He looked fairly serene on the surface, but she knew him well enough to see that he was extremely upset.

“I - I figured you’d be a little disappointed, but, shishou - it’s not really my fault, I was careful, it’s just there was this idiot intern -”

“Mayu, of course, I don’t blame you -”

“-and she didn’t give me my birth control like she was supposed to -”

“What does that have to do with -”

“-but please don’t kick me off the force!”

“-you being ill...”

He drifted off, and they stared at each other.

“Uh,” she said, and he sighed.

“I’m going to take this to mean you aren’t dying of a terminal illness,” he said, and she gaped at him.

“What? No! What the hell?”

“A few people overheard you telling Shikaku-san that your life was ending before you collapsed in front of the hospital yesterday.”

She sputtered for a moment before standing.

“I said my life was _over_ _._ And I did not collapse _._ Wait. Did you say a few people?”

She stopped and thought about the looks she’d gotten from the other officers and her strange conversation with Dai.

“Oh my god, does the _whole village_ think I’m dying?”

Now-familiar vertigo hit as her breathing picked up, and Fugaku caught her as she not-collapsed.

“Mayu, are you alright?”

“M’fine,” she said, swallowing as saliva flooded her mouth.

She was not going to throw up; she was not going to throw up.

“I’m going to throw up,” she announced, and Fugaku sure was fast on his feet, because he had her head over his garbage just as the crackers she’d managed to eat that morning came back up.

He left her there, retching, and darted to the door.

“Get me Torii. _Now,”_ he said to some poor sod in his scary voice.

Mayu whimpered and laid down on the floor as soon as she was sure she was done expelling the meager contents of her stomach.

“You’re not making this easy on me,” she mumbled down to her devil-fetus, which unsurprisingly didn’t say anything back.

Torii appeared in the doorway, taking in her prone form with wide eyes. His face cleared into medic mode as Fugaku closed his door behind him, and Mayu sighed when he knelt next to her.

“I ’m fine _,”_ she said, crankiness taking the place of her vertigo.

He helped her up, and she accepted a water bottle from Fugaku, who had a severe frown on his face.

“You just fainted, Mayu, that is not _fine.”_

“Sakura said it’s just, um. Vasovagal syncope,” she said after a moment of searching for the right word. “I guess it happens to some women when they get pregnant, or something.”

Torii blinked at her. “You’re pregnant?”

Mayu grimaced. “Apparently.”

“So this probably means you’re not dying, then,” he said and rolled his eyes. “I told everyone that it was bullshit, and you were probably just being dramatic.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. “I was not being dramatic; I had an appropriate reaction to a very stressful situation!”

Torii grumbled something not nice under his breath that she chose to pretend she didn’t hear as he ran through the usual medical check-up, ignoring her impatient sighs. Fugaku was sitting behind his desk, tapping a finger on the surface.

Was that his murder-face? Why was he making his murder-face? He wouldn’t kill a pregnant woman, right? Or, worse, make her file things?

When Torii was done fussing he helped her up and pulled the chair Fugaku had been sitting in earlier over in front of his desk. He then pointed at it and she sighed but plopped down on it.

“So. You’re out of the field for at least seven months, plus the time you’ll need to recover. That is, if you plan on returning to work fairly quickly after giving birth?”

Mayu watched him warily as she nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I haven’t really talked to anybody but Shikamaru about it -” she swallowed back a squeak as his face darkened at the mention of her husband’s name, “ - but yes, I’ll probably return as soon as I can. I’m not...staying at home wouldn’t be good for me,” she settled on after a moment of thought.

“You’d blow up the whole damn Nara compound before the year is out,” Torii said, and she put her nose in the air.

“You do realize that I’m the wife of your soon-to-be clan head? You should treat me with _respect,”_ she said, and he scoffed.

Fugaku clearing his throat pulled their attention back to him. “Alright. We can work around this. Hayao-san hasn’t given a hard date for his retirement yet, so I’m sure he’ll wait until you’re ready to return before leaving.”

Mayu straightened. “You mean - I can still be the Department Head?” she asked, chest tightening.

Fugaku gave her a look that she knew meant _why did the gods give me such a ridiculous student._

“Yes, Mayu. As long as you want to work, you’re still the best choice for the position.”

“I do! I want to work.”

“Alright. As of right now, you’re on desk duty. You can assist Torii-san in his job as lieutenant to Hayao-san as a way to start learning the day to day tasks that the Head of Investigations is in charge of. I’ll speak to Hayao-san about working directly with you a few times a week, as well. You and I will discuss what to do about your team tomorrow.”

Mayu sniffled. “Thank you, Fugaku-shishou,” she said, then stood and bowed low.

“You have nothing to thank me for. Now, if you would please go inform the force that you’re not dying, I would appreciate it.”

“Yes. Yep, I can do that. Come on Torii, you can help,” she said, grabbing the man’s arm and dragging him after her.

“Hey, Mayu, you know what this means, right?” Torii asked, sounding pleased enough with himself that she sent him a wary look as she headed for Dai’s desk to give him the ‘surprise, I’m not dying!’ speech.

“What?”

“For the next seven months, _you’re_ going to be _my_ assistant.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayu is still totally calm, okay?

“Hinata!” Mayu called as she saw the girl step out of the Hyuuga compound.

Hinata turned towards her and lifted her hand in a wave. She murmured something to the Hyuuga that was guarding the gate, then started making her way towards Mayu.

It was a simple case of luck that she’d run into her friend right as she was leaving her house. Mayu had wandered over to this side of the village in the hope that Hinata would be around. She’d been bored after Torii kicked her out of the MPF and told her to come back the next day when she was actually scheduled to work. Everybody else she knew was working or doing awesome ninja projects. All things she was currently banned from.

“Hey, I have the biggest news,” she said, mood lifting at having caught Hinata. She always made Mayu feel better when she was upset or worried about something. “It’s -”

She cut herself off when Shisui stepped out of the trees to their right. He looked better than he had the last time she’d seen him up close. That was nine months ago, just before he’d been released from prison.

He’d gained weight and was back to wearing his standard Uchiha fare. The swirling seals circling his eyes and extending into his hairline at his temples and across his forehead were still there, too. They probably always would be since the village would probably never trust him enough to give him access to his Mangekyo.

Naruto and Jiraiya had spent a good year on the project, though Naruto had argued vehemently that they should allow Shisui the chance to prove himself after he was done with his prison sentence. He’d been outvoted, however, and it was sealing his Mangekyo or not giving his eyes back at all.

Mayu swallowed and resisted the urge to step back or put a hand on her stomach. Two days ago, she wouldn’t have been afraid of him. She would have been uncomfortable in his presence and spent the entire time she was next to him resisting the urge to punch him in the face but she wouldn’t have been afraid. Now, however, she had someone besides herself to worry about if he went crazy again and decided to target her.

Some of her trepidation must have shown despite her best efforts to hide it, because his expression was sad when he greeted her, and he didn’t attempt to move any closer than the side of the road. “Mayu-san, it’s good to see you well.”

Hinata’s eyes darted between them and she bit her lip. She looked sad, and Mayu resisted the urge to hug her.

“Shisui-san,” Mayu greeted stiffly.

An awkward silence descended and Mayu cleared her throat and stepped back. “Well, Hina-chan, I can see you’ve already got plans,” she said, voice painfully cheerful as her heart sank.

“Mayu - ”

She flapped a hand at Hinata when she opened her mouth to protest and turned to walk back the way she’d come. “Have fun on your date,” she called over her shoulder.

The space between her shoulder blades itched at the discomfort of putting her back to Shisui, but she forced herself to walk at a normal pace. She’d probably just pass out if she tried to run anyway.

It put a bit of a damper on a friendship when you were worried that the love of your best friend’s life might go on a killing spree at any moment. Mayu was pretty sure that Shisui was reformed, but...pretty sure wasn’t positive. She just didn’t trust her ability to read the man, not after everything that had happened.

It didn’t help that Shikamaru despised Shisui, for obvious and understandable reasons, and always looked stressed out (and murderous) at the thought of her being within a hundred feet of him. He’d spent three days thinking she was dead because of him, after all, and had watched him put a sword to her throat shortly after that. If somebody did that to Shikamaru, they’d be dead by her hand, full stop. She was actually pretty impressed with his self-control.

Mayu put her hands in her pockets and kicked at a clump of dirt on the road as soon as she was out of sight of Hinata and Shisui. Day one of Pregnancy Nightmare and she was already bored. She supposed she could stop by the bookstore.

She changed direction to head to the large bookstore on the opposite side of Konoha from the Nara Compound. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do that day, so the distance wouldn’t be an issue.

She entered the dimly lit shop twenty minutes later, mood no better for the long, exhausting walk. She was going to need yet another nap that day. She wandered over to the science section, but it only depressed her when she remembered that she’d be kept from her precious lab until she was done breastfeeding.

Mayu’s brow furrowed. How long would she have to do that for, anyway? When would it start eating disgusting pureed squash and peas? Oh god, her breasts were going to get even bigger. Like, _how_ big could she expect them to get? When would she have to start buying pants with elastic bands?

Mayu swayed when she realized just how little she actually knew about any of this. Babysitting Chiasa sometimes while she was an infant eight years ago was not enough preparation for parenthood.

Well, she supposed it was a good thing she was standing in a bookstore while having this realization. She breathed deeply until the dizziness passed, and then scurried over to the section labeled _Family Planning._ Mayu spent two frantic hours there and left with two heavy totes full of books detailing every stage of parenting from pregnancy to the teenage years.

By the time she was halfway to the Nara compound, her nausea was back and she was dragging her feet.

“What the hell, peanut,” she grumbled. “You’re tiny, how are you sucking so much of my energy away?” 

Her stomach roiled as though in response, and she dropped her bags and scrambled over to a bush, ignoring the horrified people around her as she threw up into it.

“Wow, that’s a lot of puke,” a thoughtful voice said behind her.

Mayu responded by making the amount of vomit in the bush even more impressive. She heard the sound of her bags opening behind her but was too busy being miserable to do much about it.

“Oh, this is why my brother was muttering things about how some people shouldn’t reproduce,” the voice, which Mayu identified as belonging to Torii’s younger sister, Aimi, said.

Mayu remained bent over to make sure nothing else was going to try to exit her body, then spat a few times. When it became obvious that she wouldn’t get sick again, she straightened.

“Torii’s so mean to me,” she muttered as she turned to face Aimi who was studying her with the Nara equivalent of concern. That is, half-lidded eyes and a slouch.

“Hey, long time no see,” Mayu said weakly.

Mayu and Aimi didn’t spend a lot of time together but they got along well enough. Probably because they both loved poking at Torii’s patience until his eye started doing its hilarious twitching thing. Aimi had recently taken on an apprenticeship at Akinobu’s shop after Torii asked Mayu to give her a recommendation, however, so they’d seen each other in passing more than usual the past year.

“Akinobu-san says that you’re a sell out who abandoned us once you got famous,” Aimi said cheerfully and Mayu made a sound of annoyance when she picked up both bags of books.

“Akinobu-sensei is a grumpy old man who likes to complain,” Mayu said. “Also, those are my books you know.”

“Yep. I’m going to carry them for you.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. “I can carry my own books, thank you.”

Aimi shrugged. “You could, but then I won’t tell you about Torii’s new boyfriend.”

Mayu’s eyes widened. “No!”

So the culprit behind Torii’s dorky expression the past few days wasn’t Hayao. Interesting.

“Yes,” Aimi said, then raised her eyebrows.

Mayu vacillated between wanting to prove she wasn’t feeling sick (even though she was) and gossiping about Torii’s new love interest. Hopefully, it wasn’t another Hayao situation.

“...Fine,” she muttered.

They turned towards the compound and Aimi didn’t waste any time getting to the juicy parts. “So I noticed that my brother hasn’t been around mine and mom’s house as much in the evenings. Usually, that means he and that asshole Uchiha are at it again,” Aimi said and they rolled their eyes in tandem.

 _“But,”_ Aimi lowered her voice so Mayu was forced to lean closer, “two nights ago I drank a little too much when I went out with some of the other apprentices from Akinobu’s shop. You know how my mother is - I figured I probably shouldn’t go home.”

Mayu nodded. Torii’s mom was a handful who had Thoughts and Ideas on Aimi’s and Torii’s futures.

“I decided to crash on Torii’s couch. I have a key and I just let myself in since it was fairly late. Then I heard noises coming from the bedroom if you know what I mean.”

“Gross,” Mayu said, delighted, and Aimi wrinkled her nose and nodded.

“Extremely. Anyway, they heard me after a minute or so, and Torii came out and tried to pretend he was alone.” Aimi’s unimpressed expression told Mayu exactly what she thought of his attempt at subterfuge.

“Sometimes I think he doesn’t realize I’m not a gullible eight-year-old anymore. So, I’m thinking it’s Hayao in there, right? But that guy is extremely smooth, so when I heard thumps that sounded like somebody was falling over as they tried to get dressed quickly and escape out the window, I got suspicious.”

Mayu bounced a little in excitement and made an impatient motion when Aimi paused theatrically.

“So my brother excuses himself to his room, probably to make sure the guy hasn’t maimed himself, when there’s a knock on the door. I answered it, and guess who was on the other side?”

“Who?” Mayu asked, completely caught up in the narrative.

Aimi grinned. “Hayao.”

Mayu stopped abruptly and Aimi spun in place to face her, expression smug, obviously enjoying her reaction.

“No,” Mayu breathed. “That - that’s just too good!”

“Right? He was so surprised to see me and completely awkward. I could totally tell he was there for a booty call. Then big brother came out and saw him and his face went all annoyed, you know how it does.”

Oh, Mayu knew.

“Then they stepped out into the hall for some privacy.”

“Please tell me you eavesdropped.”

Aimi scoffed. “Of course I did. Torii _shut him down._ It was amazing. After years of watching him tug my brother around, it was everything I could have ever wanted,” she said a little dreamily.

They started walking again and Mayu latched onto her arm. “Tell me everything, don’t leave one detail out.”

By the time they got to Mayu’s house, they were leaning against each other, giggling and whispering.

“Oh man, I can’t believe Torii used the word asswipe,” Mayu said.

“I know. And Hayao kept trying to talk and he just cut him off every time. And his parting line! ‘I’ll see you at work, Uchiha-san.’ It was brutal.”

Mayu cackled, and they walked up the front steps. “What about the boyfriend?” she said, and Aimi shrugged.

“I don’t know, by the end of Torri’s verbal smackdown, whoever it was had finally made his escape. _But,_ I’m pretty sure Torii is still seeing him. I think it’s been at least a month.”

“Wow,” Mayu said. “So the Hayao and Torii saga finally ends.”

“Thank god,” Aimi muttered.

“So,” Mayu said. “I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands for the next few months. You want to -”

“ - solve the mystery of who’s boinking big brother? Absolutely,” Aimi said.

“Well, then,” Mayu said, unlocking her door. “Step into my lair.”

000

She was sitting at the kitchen table staring down at a description of childbirth with wide eyes when Shikamaru came home a few hours later. She brightened and jumped up as he called out a greeting.

He’d barely entered the kitchen when he had an armful of enthusiastic Mayu. His air left him in a whoosh and he stumbled, but he recovered quickly after years of practice.

“You’re home,” she said happily and wrapped her arms and legs around him. “And it’s not even six yet!”

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, and her heart flipped in her chest at how handsome he was when he smiled.

He walked into the kitchen and sat down in her vacated chair. She adjusted her grip so that she was straddling him, then leaned down to kiss him. She made a sound of encouragement when he slid his hands up either side of her spine and pulled her closer.

Her tongue swiped across his lower lip and he opened his mouth. Mayu pressed closer to him as she ran her tongue along his own. Familiar heat coiled in her stomach, and she was glad that she’d just taken a nap. She’d have plenty of energy to take this to its preferable conclusion now.

One of his hands went into her hair and gripped it lightly and the other moved down her back and she shivered and pressed closer to him. She brought one hand to the side of his neck and arched forward, rolling her hips against his. He moaned and she pulled back, ignoring his sound of protest.

“Don’t move,” she whispered.

He watched with interest while she stood and wiggled out of her pants and underwear, which were already damp. They hadn’t had sex in more than a week, thanks to his schedule and her general state of exhaustion, so she was more than ready.

He unzipped his flak jacket without taking his eyes off of her, and as soon as he’d taken it off she straddled his thighs again. She trailed her hands up his chest, sighing in appreciation. He was watching her patiently, eyes warm and earrings glinting, and she kissed him again, unable to resist.

He slid forward on the chair and spread his thighs when Mayu reached down and undid the button and fly of his pants. He was already hard and she hesitated when her hand went around him and pulled him out of the slit in his briefs. The skin was soft and warm and his weight was familiar in her hand and she wondered if it was strange to feel so much fondness for a penis.

His hips twitched up when she gripped him and moved her hand up and down the shaft, watching with appreciation when his eyes went half-lidded and he let out a small exhalation of air.

It would be so easy to slide off the chair and drop to her knees so she could take him into her mouth. She glanced up at his face and admired his red cheeks and swollen lips and decided she’d rather get to the main event.

She scooted forward and lifted herself, lining him up at her entrance. His hands went to her hips and they both moaned when she sank down onto him. The stretch of him inside her was perfect and she tightened involuntarily around him which caused him to twitch inside her in response.

“Oh,” she whispered then leaned forward and gave him a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss as she rotated her hips. “That’s nice.”

He laughed against her lips and pushed his hands under her tank top to trail across her bare skin. “Just nice?” 

Instead of answering Mayu lifted herself up and dropped down and his head fell back. She leaned down and placed an open-mouthed kiss below his ear.

He tilted his head up and watched as she started to move up and down with more intent. Her eyes drifted closed when she arched back and found the angle that sent tingles of pleasure moving from her abdomen into the rest of her body.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said and pushed her shirt the rest of the way up her torso.

She raised her arms obediently so that he could take it off of her then kissed him again while his long fingers worked to undo the clasp on her bra. When it loosened and slipped down her arms she made a sound of approval at the feeling of his fully clothed body beneath her own naked one.

His hands ran down her back and over her hips and thighs, and he dipped his head to take a nipple in his mouth. She started raising and lowering her body at a faster pace, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning back.

“Fuck, yeah, just like that,” Shikamaru said and she gasped when he gripped her hips and pulled her down more firmly onto him while thrusting up.

She knew it was only a matter of time before he lost patience and -

She _meeped_ when he wrapped an arm around her hips to steady her against him and stood. He leaned forward and swiped the books that were on the table out of the way and they fell to the floor, the sounds of crinkling pages making Mayu wince.

He then laid her down on the surface. His eyes were intent on her face as he looped one arm behind a knee, then hitched her other leg up until she got the hint and wrapped it around his waist.

He thrust into her without warning and she arched her back off the table. He groaned and began thrusting into her with powerful strokes that made the table shudder beneath her.

Good thing it was a piece of Akinobu furniture - it would hold up against the strain. Akinobu would be horrified if he knew the things they’d done on his wedding gift to them. Mayu pushed her heel against Shikamaru’s lower back to encourage him to thrust harder, eyes widening and mouth dropping open in a soundless cry as pleasure coursed through her.

“You look so good, laid out like this for me,” Shikamaru said and she shivered even as heat flushed across her skin.

He leaned down to suck on a spot on her neck and the rough feeling of his shirt against her nipples added to the intensity of the pressure building inside her. His hips were slapping against the back of her thighs and his free hand had gone to her shoulder to keep her from sliding backward with every thrust.

She came before he did, and he moaned and swore when she tightened around him. She lay back, limp and dazed, as he continued to move inside her. She shivered as little aftershocks of pleasure ran up and down her spine, and it only took half a dozen more thrusts before he slumped over and came.

“I needed that,” he said after he caught his breath, then nuzzled into her neck.

She hummed her agreement and returned his lazy kiss when he lifted himself up. He helped her sit up and she winced when her sweaty skin stuck to the table.

He frowned. “Sorry. Did I hurt you? I mean, with the pregnancy -”

Mayu waved her hand in the air as she wobbled to her feet. “The books say it’s fine to have sex unless it hurts me. Which it didn’t.”

Shikamaru blinked down at the large assortment of books now littering the floor and piled at the end of the table.

“That is...a lot of books about babies.”

Mayu blushed. “I was feeling nervous about it,” she admitted as he bent over to collect her clothes from the floor.

When he straightened his brows were furrowed in concern, and he pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry I had to work instead of staying home with you. Do you feel better now?”

She shrugged, then shivered as her bare skin became chilled.

“Come on. Let’s shower and then I’ll run out and grab you some food, okay?”

Mayu brightened at the thought of food and let him lead her into the shower.

“I thought about you all day, you know,” he said, then wrapped an arm around her middle and kissed her shoulder. “Both of you.”

Mayu couldn’t help her small smile. It was pretty adorable how soft his tone went when he talked about the peanut. It was almost reverent.

“Oh yeah? Good thoughts?”

She turned, letting the warm water flow down her back, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled and tugged her closer.

“If thinking about how amazing my wife is and how perfect the baby she’s making for us is going to be counts as good thoughts, then yeah.”

Mayu buried her face in his neck and let him pull her closer. She didn’t want him to see the way her smile faltered. What if she let him down by being horrible at it? She wasn’t anything like Yoshino, who was probably the best example they had of a great mom.

After their shower, she pulled on pajamas and cleaned up the kitchen while Shikamaru went to get some takeout.

She hummed as she sorted the books. Maybe ten had been a little excessive, but she needed all of the information available before she could make any decisions on the proper way to raise a child.

She swallowed as familiar anxiety ran through her. While Shikamaru had been there she’d been able to push the terror she’d been feeling all day to the back of her mind. Now, though, all of her doubts rushed back.

How were books going to make her any less of a disaster? She was going to be terrible at this, she couldn’t do it, she just _couldn’t -_

A knock on the door distracted her from her thoughts, just in time, too, if the way she’d been going lightheaded was any indication. She fed chakra into her nose and took a deep breath. It was Yoshino.

She walked out of the kitchen and into the entryway to open the door.

“Hey, mom, what are you -” Mayu’s eyes widened when she caught sight of her.

Yoshino looked awful. She was pale and her eyes were wide and watery. She was even wringing her hands which was something that Mayu had only ever seen her do the time Shikamaru had been injured by Hoshigaki Kisame.

“What happened? Is it dad? Is he hurt? What -”

Her breathing picked up and her grip on the doorknob tightened until the grooves were biting into her palm.

“No,” Yoshino said and swallowed. “Nothing like that.”

“Then what is it? Come here, come sit down,” Mayu said and grabbed her arm to tug her inside.

Yoshino followed, pausing to take off her shoes.

“Ignore the books. You know how I am when I’m researching,” Mayu said when they entered the kitchen.

To her horror, a tear actually fell down Yoshino’s cheek when she saw the books on the table. She forced herself to breathe normally - the last thing she needed was to add to...whatever was going on here by passing out.

“I’m so sorry,” Yoshino said, voice trembling, and Mayu blinked rapidly.

“For...?”

“I was angry with you and assigned that intern to your case because I knew it would annoy you. Then she messed up your medical care so badly that you didn’t have the basic protection that we’re supposed to provide all kunoichi.”

Mayu gaped when she realized that the reason Yoshino looked so horrible was that she was feeling guilty.

“Guess dad told you, huh? Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it was you that dropped my birth control,” Mayu said, then flailed when Yoshino started crying harder.

“Mom! It’s fine. It’s - look, it’s not ideal, but you know it’s probably gonna look like Shikamaru - the Nara genes are strong - which will be pretty cute. Maybe it’ll just nap all the time.”

She smiled when Yoshino let out a wet laugh and wiped futilely at her eyes. “I let my personal feelings get in the way of your medical care. There’s no excuse. Shikaku said you’re worried about your promotion, and I’ll never forgive myself if you lose it.”

Mayu sighed. “Let’s sit down, okay?”

Yoshino nodded and accepted a napkin to blow her nose with from Mayu before sitting next to her at the table.

Mayu took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. “Okay, first of all, it’s not like you told the janitor to take over my medical care or something. I mean, I wasn’t her only patient, right? She was cleared for that already?”

Yoshino hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. She’d started taking patients the day before.”

“Okay. So you treated me like any other patient. I wasn’t in danger of dying, I just needed to sleep off the drugs and have my blood drawn. Anyone in my position wouldn’t get the great medics.”

“Yes, but -”

Mayu held up her hand to cut her off. “Mom. If anything, I get better medical care than most because of who my parents are. So you’re no more responsible than every other person there who thinks letting _interns_ be in charge of _anything_ is a good idea,” Mayu said with a sniff, making sure to use her snootiest tone.

Yoshino sighed. “Mayu, how else are they going to learn if we don’t let them try?”

Mayu sat back at her words, smug. Yoshino blinked, then rolled her eyes as she realized what she had said. “Yes, alright, I see your point.”

The front door opened, but Mayu ignored it when she recognized Shikamaru’s tread.

“Okay. As for the rest. I talked to Fugaku-shishou today. I’m going to be doing desk work until after I have the baby, but I’m not losing my promotion, okay?”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Shikamaru said when he entered the kitchen, and Mayu’s stomach growled at the smell of food emanating from the bags he was carrying.

She tipped her head back so he could lean down and kiss her. He did a double take at Yoshino’s red eyes when he moved to kiss her cheek but didn’t say anything when Mayu gave a small shake of her head.

“Well, we didn’t have a chance to talk before you went to get dinner,” Mayu said and resisted the urge to blush when he smirked. “Anyway. Yeah, I’m following Torii and Hayao around to learn the ropes of being a Department Head. I’m not sure what we’re doing about training my replacement though.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Shikamaru said and motioned for her to stay in her seat while he went to get plates. “Is dad coming over, too?”

“No,” Yoshino said. “He’s working late. So then you’re not - you’re okay with it?”

Mayu didn’t miss the way Shikamaru carefully didn’t look at her when she hesitated. She supposed she wasn’t fooling him at all and he was perfectly aware of her trepidation.

“I don’t know. I’m pretty freaked out, honestly,” she said and picked at a loose thread at the cuff of the old shirt she was wearing. It was one of Shikamaru’s and was soft from multiple wearings and age.

“You know that we’ll be here for you,” Yoshino said.

Mayu looked up at her and smiled. “I know. Are you...happy about it? I mean, you’re kinda young to be a grandmother,” she said awkwardly.

It was true. Yoshino had only been twenty-two when she had Shikamaru. Forty-five wasn’t exactly old granny age. Mayu blinked when Yoshino smiled. Sometimes she forgot just how beautiful she was.

“I’m very excited. I loved it when Shikamaru was a baby. He was so soft and cuddly.”

Mayu smiled and Shikamaru grumbled something under his breath from where he was scooping out three portions of food.

“I mean, he’s still pretty cuddly,” she said and giggled at his loud sigh. “Anyway. These things just happen, and it’s not like I’m a sixteen-year-old chunin with no support. I’m married, I have a whole clan now, and my career is well underway. It’s fine.”

Mayu wasn’t sure she really believed the last part of her statement, but Yoshino’s relieved smile was enough to make her feel slightly better.

“Well, then,” Yoshino said and Mayu groaned when she saw that she going into Medic Mode. “Have you had any fainting episodes today?” Of course, she’d read through her files from yesterday already.

“Uh,” Mayu said when Shikamaru’s steps faltered from where he was crossing the room.

He barely managed to keep the plates precariously balanced in his arms from falling to the floor. That’s right, she’d accidentally-on-purpose forgotten to tell him about that.

“You’re having what?” He set the plates down with more force than Mayu thought was strictly necessary.

“Oh, did I not mention those? Don’t worry! I’ve stayed far away from power tools,” she deflected.

“They’re not nothing, Mayu,” Yoshino scolded while Shikamaru twitched. “You need to be careful.”

“That _is_ me being careful,” she muttered and Yoshino’s eyes narrowed.

Mayu sighed and stared up at the ceiling as a familiar, stubborn expression crossed Shikamaru’s face. The next seven months were going to be so dull.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayu thought that things couldn't get worse than being banned from her lab and taken off field duty. One would think she'd know better by now.

Mayu groaned when her alarm went off the next morning and slapped at it until it stopped making those annoying chirping noises. Shikamaru grumbled and pulled her closer to him, and she allowed herself to relax into his hold for a few more minutes.

Eventually, though, she was forced to get up or risk being late for work. She was dreading it since she’d have to tell her team she was out of the field for the next several months. She would also have to tell them why, and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Hinata about it yet. Maybe she could catch her before their shift.

She moved around their room, pulling on her uniform and trying to decide if eating was worth the possible consequences. She was making an attempt to tame her hair in front of the bathroom mirror when Shikamaru shuffled up behind her. She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her middle and laid his head on top of hers, expression pulled into a pout.

“You don’t have to go to work today, do you?” she asked his reflection and picked up her green eyeliner.

“Eh, I need to get some paperwork done at some point,” he mumbled, watching as she carefully drew a thick line above one eye.

“You need a real day off.” She blinked and studied her handiwork before deciding it was fine and moving on to the other eye.

“Yeah, well, tell Itachi-sama that,” he said, then sighed at her expression. “Please, don’t _actually_ tell Itachi-sama that.”

Mayu stuck out her lower lip and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “How long is your shift?”

She hummed and leaned against him, reaching back with one hand to tug lightly on his hair, which would need a lot of love before it would go back into its customary ponytail. It was all over the place.

“I think I’ll be working the same shifts as Torii now, so probably five unless there’s an emergency. Even then, I can’t go out into the field, so.” She scowled.

“I’m sorry this is so hard on you.”

Mayu looked away. “I’m sorry I’m so...stressed.”

“Eh, it’s you that has to do all the hard parts until it’s born. I just get to stand around and admire you.” She squirmed when he shoved his cold nose into her neck, unable to help the laugh that escaped her.

“If you’re feeling up to it, I want to take you out tonight,” he said once she’d escaped his grasp and moved back into the bedroom.

“Oh yeah?” She picked up her scroll belt and buckled it over her hips.

“Yeah, I feel like showing off my beautiful wife.”

She blushed and let him hold her flak jacket up for her so she could slip her arms through it, then turned and leaned against him. “You sure are a suck up today.” 

“Nah. Just missed you lately, is all. Also, if people see us out and about the rumor that you’re dying might go away.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, you, uh, heard about that?” 

“I spent half of yesterday convincing people that I wasn’t about to become a widow.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Did the women from admin hit on you again? Because if they did -”

He chuckled. “Jealous?”

“No,” she said and stuck her lip out.

“Good. You don’t need to be. I don’t notice any women but you, not that way.”

She grumbled but let him pull her into a kiss that left her flushed and panting. “Stop it, I don’t have time to let you follow through,” she said and he gave her his boyish half-smile that looked even more adorable than usual when paired with his sleepwear and messy hair.

She dodged his next kiss and bit back a laugh at his sullen expression. “I’ll see you tonight?”

She squeaked when he flashed forward and tugged her against him. “You will,” he said, voice low and full of promise, then ducked his head and kissed the hell out of her.

She was still blushing when she got to work, and she realized belatedly that her anxiety about how the day would go had completely faded. Sneaky Nara men.

She also hadn’t missed the fact that Sasuke ‘just happened’ to be walking past the Nara compound in the direction of the MPF that morning. It had only made sense, of course, to walk together. How he and Shikamaru had already managed to coordinate their efforts to keep her in somebody’s sight at all times was beyond her.

She headed for her seldom-used office. Mayu had commandeered a desk in the bullpen with the rest of her team right after becoming captain. It was too much of a pain to always be dashing in and out to communicate with them.

She only used it for meetings and to store classified files, and sometimes she went in there when she needed some peace and quiet. And when she needed a place to hide out for whatever reason - usually one that it involved Akito on the warpath over her breaking some ridiculous regulation or dodging paperwork. 

She’d only had a few minutes to start working herself up again when Hayao appeared in her doorway. “Mayu-san,” he greeted.

“Hey, Hayao-san. What’s up?”

“Do you have a moment to talk?”

“Yeah, sure.” She eyed his somewhat-serious demeanor and kissed her chance to pull Hinata aside goodbye.

He entered and shut the door behind him, then took a seat in the chair in front of her desk. “Fugaku-sama told me about the change in your circumstances. We discussed it, and I agreed to stay on as Department Head until you return from leave.”

Mayu cheered and he ignored her reaction with the ease of long practice. “You’ll be working directly with me two days a week. The rest of the time you’ll be supporting your team from headquarters and assisting Torii with his duties.”

Mayu fiddled with a pen on her desk. “What about my replacement?”

Hayao leaned back. “Well, who do you have in mind?”

“Aburame Junto,” she said without pausing to think about it. “He’s been on Dai’s team for almost two years, so he knows the ins and outs of Investigations. He’s also got a natural talent for deduction. I know he led a team in ANBU before applying for the MPF, so he’s got leadership experience.”

Hayao tilted his head to the side. “I’m not even going to bother asking how you know about his time in ANBU.”

Let him think Mayu had figured it out using her amazing skills in deduction. Her knowledge of Junto’s role as captain in ANBU had, in fact, been the result of pillow talk with Shikamaru after she’d turned his brains to mush and then grilled him on the newest member of Investigations. He was so adorable after sex. He became a malleable, cuddly wall of muscle and assassination techniques.

“He was one of the candidates Fugaku-sama and I discussed as well. We’ll put him on the team as second-in-command under Akito in the field. Off the field, you’ll still lead. In seven months’ time, we’ll evaluate Aburame-san’s performance. If it seems like he’s still a good fit we’ll promote him.”

Mayu let herself relax. That wasn’t so bad. She could still assist in training Junto, and she wouldn’t be expected to just drop her team entirely with no warning. It would be tricky solving crimes without going out into the field, though. Well, if she really needed to take a look at a crime scene in the next few months, it wasn’t like it’d be hard to sneak into it.

“I know that people like to wait before making the announcement when they’re expecting, but considering the rumors going around, and the fact that we’re pulling you from the field, it might be a good idea to tell your team, at least.”

Mayu took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. Sure. No problem.” He raised an eyebrow at the admittedly nervous laugh that followed.

“Alright. I’ll have Torii come to you with the details by the end of the day. I need you to catch Akito up on the duties he’ll be expected to perform while he’s the temporary lead in the field.”

“Yep, will do. And Hayao-san...” he paused and glanced at her. “Thank you. For sticking around until I could take over.”

Hayao shrugged. “I miss running village missions, but we do important work here, too. Promoting somebody less suited to the position because of this would be a waste.”

Mayu’s lips twitched up. “Aw, Hayao-san, you’re so sweet. No, seriously, my heart is melting here -”

She laughed when he sighed and left the room. Riling up Uchiha should be a national sport.

She took a deep breath and then let it out. Okay, this was fine. It was going to work out. Her little peanut was kind of a pain, but what else did she expect from any child of hers? She actually felt proud of her baby-to-be when she thought of it like that.

Mayu stood and wiped the palms of her hands on her pants when she heard Luto greeting Hinata in the bullpen. She really hoped her team took all the changes well. For the past four years, they’d bled together, lost sleep together, and pulled one another out of multiple jams.

They had followed Mayu into more than one sticky situation without hesitation. The realization that she was leaving them had her blinking back tears. Mayu really loved them, even uptight Akito.

“Pull it together, Mayu,” she muttered. Twenty-two and she was still bursting into tears at annoying times.

She crossed her arms and leaned against her door jamb, watching as Luto said something that made Hinata stutter and blush. Akito smacked him on the back of his head without looking up from the report he was reading through and Luto protested loudly.

“Alright, IIU, Conference Room Three,” she called once she was sure her voice wouldn’t wobble.

She waited until they had all shuffled into the room, not missing the hesitant look Hinata sent her, before straightening and following. She could do this.

“Okay,” she said and clapped her hands together once after closing the door before turning to face them.

“Mayu-taicho,” Hinata said. “Are you - are you okay? I heard some rumors yesterday...”

Mayu hesitated as she trailed off and all three of them - investigators to their cores - straightened, alarmed.

“I’m fine,” she hurried to assure them. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, deciding to just rip off the band-aid.

“I’m pregnant,” she said to the crack on the third tile in from the door.

There was a long pause before Luto spoke. “That’s. Wow. Congratulations, Mayu-taicho.”

She looked over at his wide smile, not having expected that reaction. “I. Thank you?”

Akito was studying her with narrowed eyes and Hinata was watching her with concern. She knew that Mayu had been determined to put off the creation of the Nara heir for as long as possible. They’d had plenty of giggling conversations about things like that when they were younger, after all. Well, okay, and maybe one just last week.

“Yes, congratulations,” Akito said.

Hinata gave her a tremulous smile and Mayu’s shoulders relaxed. She cleared her throat. “Well, obviously that means we’ll need to do some rearranging. I can’t go out into the field until it’s, you know, done incubating. Also - this doesn’t leave the room, okay - Hayao plans on retiring from the MPF once I’m back from leave.”

She didn’t miss the way everybody’s shoulders had relaxed when she confirmed she wasn’t quitting. It made her chest warm and the rest of her anxiety over telling her team disappeared. Of course, once she got to the part about her leaving the team permanently to become Department Head they were back to looking tragic.

“Hey, now, I’ll still be in the Investigations Unit. And you know you’ll always be my favorites,” she said loftily.

Akito sighed. “You can’t just say things like that as the candidate for the next Department Head -”

“Yes, I know, blah, blah, blah, professional decorum.” She waved her hand in the air in a clear dismissal of his concerns and pretended not to see the small uptick of his lips. He was totally excited to still be her favorite.

She cleared her throat. “Right. Well. We’re stealing Dai’s star pupil, the Aburame, to take over as second. If Dai complains around you tell him I said that it’s not _my_ fault he’s not interesting enough to keep any of the good recruits.”

Hinata giggled, Luto grinned, and Akito looked up at the ceiling in a clear bid for patience. Just another day, really.

“Hinata. Can you stay behind, please?” Mayu asked when they finished up their meeting and everybody started to file out.

Mayu waited until Luto closed the door behind him, then cleared her throat and went to sit next to her.

“I meant to tell you right away -”

“I’m so sorry about yesterday -”

They both started talking at the same time, and Mayu’s resulting laugh sounded forced, probably because it was. “Uh, go ahead.”

Hinata looked down at her hands and took a deep breath before meeting Mayu’s gaze. “Mayu-chan...I’m sorry about yesterday. You felt like you couldn’t share something with me without putting yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“Hinata, you had plans, I just didn’t want to interrupt -”

“You were scared,” Hinata said in a firm tone that Mayu knew better than to argue with. “You didn’t want to reveal a vulnerability to me because I associate with a person that hurt you. I’ve been selfish, Mayu. You seemed fine with me giving Shisui another chance, but...I didn’t think about how it would affect you.”

Mayu leaned forward and grasped Hinata’s hands in her own. “Don’t be dumb. Who you date is your business. As long as he’s treating you well -”

“We broke up. Um, I mean, we’re taking a break.”

Mayu’s eyes widened. “What? Why? Did he - I mean. Did he do something?” Anger had her tightening her hold on Hinata’s hands. That was it, Shisui was dead _._

“No, nothing like that,” Hinata hurried to assure her and swallowed. She was trying to hold back tears and it made something in Mayu’s chest clench hard enough that it was almost physically painful.

“I realized that I’m hurting everybody around me by being with him. My father is worried all the time and is constantly working to keep the elders from reacting. And I heard all these rumors after you left yesterday about you being sick -” Hinata’s voice cracked and she paused to get ahold of herself.

“You couldn’t talk to me about something that was happening to you and I couldn’t stand it. I don’t want to be isolated from my friends and family. He saw how it was affecting me and suggested that we stop seeing each other. I agreed.”

“But you love him,” Mayu said, sounding as miserable for her friend as she felt.

“I do. And I believe he’s truly repented. But it doesn’t change the things he did in the past, or how it makes people feel today.”

“Hinata...” Mayu trailed off, unsure of how to handle the situation. “Don’t you think people will get used to it?”

It was lame as far as arguments went and she knew it, but this whole thing didn’t feel right. She couldn’t, however, promise to magically be okay around Shisui. Hinata may be convinced that Shisui was reformed but Mayu couldn’t bring herself to trust him. Many people felt the same way.

“I don’t know.” Hinata blinked rapidly. “I just...I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh Hina-chan, you should have come over last night,” Mayu said and pulled her into a hug.

Hinata leaned against her and took one shuddering breath before pulling back. Mayu let her go, aware that she wouldn’t want to break down at work. “I wasn’t sure if you were mad at me,” Hinata said miserably.

“No way. You didn’t do anything wrong, you know. It’s not bad that you love him.” If Shikamaru decided his new hobby was creating his own ANBU army to subvert the village...yeah, Mayu would still love him. She’d probably just join his secret evil faction and help him take over the world.

She shook her head, slightly disturbed and a little turned on by the mental image of an evil Shikamaru, and brought her attention back to Hinata. “Maybe after things die down, you two can try again. Listen, I can’t go out drinking with you, but come over tonight, okay? We can watch movies and make Shika be our man-servant.”

Hinata smiled. “Alright.”

Mayu watched her leave the conference room with a frown on her face. What a mess.

She spent the morning at her desk filling out (scowling at) the mountains of paperwork required to transfer somebody over to her team and make Akito the leader in the field. Her attention was pulled from her own personal hell by the sound of a throat clearing next to her just as she was starting to contemplate going to lunch.

She looked up at Aburame Junto, who was staring at her from behind his sunglasses. Hayao must have told him about his promotion, then.

His MPF uniform shirt was a turtleneck, probably as a nod to his clan’s preference for covering as much skin as possible, but other than that and the glasses he was dressed the same as every other officer. She knew from reading his file that he was twenty-seven but his round cheeks and smooth skin made him look younger than Mayu.

“Aburame-san, hello.”

“Mayu-taicho,” he greeted, tone stilted. “I came to thank you, because you have given me an opportunity that I have dreamed of since joining the investigations unit.”

Mayu tilted her head to the side and studied him. “You’re precious,” she decided.

His cheeks tinged pink and Mayu fought the urge to rub her hands together in glee. Having him as a trainee was going to, at the very least, break through some of the monotony that would be her life while she was chained to her desk.

“Should I be concerned?” a familiar voice asked and Mayu brightened and launched out of her chair.

Shikamaru huffed when her elbow found his stomach in her attempt to hug him, but he still wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I thought you were taking me out to dinner, not lunch,” she said when she pulled back and noticed two bentos from her favorite noodle place in his free hand.

He shrugged and she resisted the urge to kiss him when she saw he was slumped over into a sulk. She was a professional, after all. At least, that’s what Fugaku said during his long-winded lecture the time he caught them making out in an interrogation room.

“I wanted to see how you were doing.”

Mayu stared up at him, unable to hide her adoration. He was so sweet and attentive. The best husband ever, really.

Junto cleared his throat. “Mayu-taicho, I can see you are busy -”

“Wait! Um. Come to my office after lunch and we’ll talk, okay?”

He hesitated when Shikamaru glowered at him but nodded. “I look forward to it.”

He gave a polite little bow before escaping with as much aplomb as he could manage. Yep, cute. Mayu turned to Shikamaru and raised an eyebrow.

“Mean,” she chirped.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He looked to the side and scowled.

Mayu bit her lip, and after making sure Fugaku was still in his office with the door closed, stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. His expression went pleased and she grinned.

“Akito-san, I’m taking lunch. I’ll be in the little courtyard behind the clothing shop if you need me.”

“Alright,” he said absently from behind his own pile of paperwork.

Lunch was delicious and Mayu was relieved when it stayed down. It was only a matter of time before Shikamaru saw her get sick, but she’d prefer to avoid his overreaction until the last possible moment. He was currently lying across the bench they’d commandeered, dozing with his head in her lap.

Despite it being a beautiful day the courtyard was empty except for the two of them. Mayu was admiring the line of his jaw and thinking up fun and educational (traumatizing) training exercises for Junto when she heard the sound of whispering from a group of trees about twenty feet away. She had her hearing and sense of smell increased minutely out of habit most of the time to make up for her lack of chakra sensitivity and was able to make out the words without difficulty.

“...are you crazy? We’re two blocks away from the police station!”

“So what? It’ll only take a second to activate. This is our best chance - he’s never alone unless he’s in his clan lands, and the security is too tight there.”

A sigh, and then, “Fine.”

“Shikamaru,” Mayu whispered, and her urgent tone had his eyes popping open. “We’re about to be -”

A man appeared next to their bench with a displacement of air. They both scrambled to their feet and backed away from him, Shikamaru stepping in front of her to shield her body with his own. Usually, she’d complain, but she was uncomfortably aware that if she got hurt it wasn’t just her that could be affected.

She resisted the urge to reveal a vulnerability by putting her hand over her stomach while her limbs went cold with fear. It had been years since she’d felt truly afraid of something, but it was happening annoyingly frequently these past few days.

“There are more surrounding us,” she whispered.

She could pick up their scents and hear them shifting in the trees, on the roofs, and in the alley that led out to the main road. How had they gotten into the village? She and Sasuke were going to have to overhaul security _again._

Shikamaru nodded and she knew he was thinking through possibilities and strategies, since she was doing the same thing. It would help if she knew why they were being attacked.

The man who was standing before them was short and sturdy-looking. He had hair so blonde it was almost white, with eyes that were dark enough to be jarring in comparison. He was wearing a white tunic over grey pants, and his whole body was trembling.

His forehead had an ugly recent-looking scar and after a moment of studying it, Mayu realized that it was a seal carved directly into the flesh. “Shikamaru, that seal -”

“I see it.”

“We do this so that we can build a better world!” the man cried and put a hand to his forehead. Mayu only had time to inhale once before Shikamaru spun and pulled her against him, then sprung straight up into the air.

He wrapped himself around her, cradling her head to his chest to shield it. They were flung sideways when the man exploded and Mayu gasped at the intense heat as flames billowed up around them.

Shikamaru grunted as he absorbed most of the assault, but she didn’t have time to worry before he was twisting himself around. They slammed into the wall of the building that housed a clothing store, and a sickening crunching noise echoed from somewhere on Shikamaru's body. He was limp and unmoving when they hit the ground.

Mayu blinked rapidly in an attempt to dispel her disorientation as she struggled to her knees. Her ears were ringing and she couldn’t hear much at all from the left one. She fought the urge to gag and froze when she heard voices.

Thankfully, that’s when the adrenaline hit, and she was able to focus on something other than her discomfort. The first thing she noticed was that Shikamaru still wasn’t moving.

It wasn’t surprising. He hadn’t even tried to cushion his own landing - he’d been totally focused on protecting Mayu. Later, she’d probably be upset about that, but her mind had fallen into a clear, analytical calmness that she’d learned to lean on in emergency situations.

From the odd angle it was laying at, she could tell he had a broken arm. Thankfully, she didn’t see any truly egregious burns from the explosion. They must have gotten clear in time. Hopefully, the crunch she’d heard had only been his arm, and nothing more vital. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing, but didn’t have time to check for a pulse.

She forced herself to look away from him and focus on the enemy. Three more people had landed in the courtyard, which was now a small crater littered with burning rubble and splinters from the trees that had previously provided shade to the little park. They were wearing the same tunic and pants that the dead man had been in and all of them were holding wicked-looking glaives in their hands.

Mayu took a steadying breath and pushed to her feet. It had only been about ten seconds since the explosion. Reinforcements should arrive within thirty.

“If you’re thinking that reinforcements are coming, you should know that we’ve got more people in place to set off bombs. That should keep them busy until we’re done here,” a woman said. As if to punctuate her point, there was the sound of an explosion, and the ground trembled beneath Mayu’s feet.

She looked like she may have been related to the man who was nothing more than a bloodstain on the ruined cobblestone now. She had the same light hair, dark eyes, and stocky body. Her expression was cold, but the way she gripped her weapon and the rapid fluttering of her pulse gave her strong feelings away.

“What do you want,” Mayu said, voice flat as she adjusted her stance and inched her hand towards the scroll holding Bukimi and Wara Wara.

“Let us make sure your husband is dead and we’ll get out of your hair.”

That broke through the cold, rational shell that had settled over Mayu and she pressed her lips together when rage sent a flash of heat across her skin. If their goal was a dead Shikamaru then Mayu’s goal was to kill each and every one of them.

“I don’t think so,” Mayu said as she grabbed the edge of the scroll and unfurled it in a practiced move, pushing chakra into it.

All three of them rushed her, but Mayu already had her chakra threads connected to her puppets and was ready for them. The two men who had been flanking the woman abandoned their attack to avoid Bukimi’s Rolling Thunder. The woman’s strike with her glave was blocked by Wara Wara’s crossed front legs.

The woman narrowly avoided a faceful of senbon that ejected from Wara Wara’s eye sockets by bending backward and then turning the motion into a graceful roll over one shoulder.

“Haya-sama,” a man with a shaved head landed at her side when she came back to her feet. “That’s -”

“The Deadly Dance of Puppets. I know,” the woman - Haya - said and met Mayu’s gaze. “I read about it in your bingo book entry, Nara-san.”

Mayu adjusted her stance so that she was standing directly over Shikamaru, who still hadn’t moved.

“So you should know better than to test me,” Mayu snapped.

She hoped that adrenaline counteracted the whole fainting thing or she and Shikamaru were going to die. She could hear the sounds of combat happening on the other side of the buildings surrounding the courtyard and winced when another explosion shook the area.

“Why are you here, anyway?” Mayu eyed the third man in the group when he took a step to the right. He was at least fifty but no less spry than the others.

Wara Wara and Bukimi went into ready stances, skittering back and forth in front of her in a way she knew was incredibly disconcerting.

“You heard my brother. We’re doing this for a better world. One where shinobi don’t rule us.”

Mayu sighed. Great, extremists, her favorite. “Uh, you _are_ shinobi.” They used chakra and were trained in combat. The dead man had used a seal  _and_ shunshin. People were so illogical.

The bald man bristled. “We are _monks,_ not -”

“Quiet,” the woman snapped. “We don’t have time for this. Make sure Nara Shikamaru is dead, then we need to get out of here.”

Mayu narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. All three of them moved at the same time. Bukimi stepped up and to the side to intercept Haya, whose glaive was a blur as it sliced down towards Mayu’s neck.

Mayu released Bukimi’s blades and they stopped her powerful blow with enough repulsive force that she assumed Haya was feeding chakra into the weapon.

The bald man screamed when Mayu allowed him to spin around Wara Wara, only to spray him in the back with acid when he thought he’d succeeded in getting through her defenses.

“No!” the old man cried and attacked Wara Wara with more vigor.

“Idiot,” Mayu muttered when he fell to her senbon hail. Hadn’t he watched Haya almost get hit with that two minutes ago?

He staggered back and fell to his knees as the paralytic took effect. Haya surged back when Wara Wara moved to join Bukimi in their fight.

“I’ve got you,” Mayu muttered. She ignored the way she was going lightheaded and sent another pulse of chakra into both puppets.

As Bukimi pranced forward his sharp, metal legs blurred into Bladed Volley. Wara Wara rolled over onto her back and began spinning so fast that she was only a blur. Mayu furrowed her brow in concentration and activated her newest puppet technique. She had named it Death Hail, to Shikamaru’s consternation. The tricky part had been having enough control to not send projectiles and acid flying at Mayu or her allies.

A spray of senbon and acid erupted from Wara Wara and Haya swore as she attempted to avoid the attacks from both puppets. She let out a hiss of pain when acid splattered against her face and neck and began eating away at the flesh there. One of Bukimi’s blades pierced her stomach when she jabbed the end of her glaive at Wara Wara to try and stop her spinning, and she gasped and stumbled backward, then fell to one knee.

Mayu grinned, triumphant, and Bukimi rushed forward, blades heading for Haya’s throat. They were stopped from killing Haya by the body of the bald man, whose back was a mess of mangled flesh from the acid spray. Despite the massive amount of pain he must have been in, he had dashed across the clearing to take the hit meant for his leader. If Mayu wasn’t so annoyed she’d be impressed.

He made a choked off, awful noise as the blades pushed through him and out the other side of his body, spraying his leader’s face and torso with his blood. Haya was staring up at him with wide eyes. Mayu couldn’t see his expression, as his back was to her, but she assumed it was pretty awful, between the acid burns and the four legs protruding from him.

Haya lifted a hand and touched his face. “You died with honor,” she said fiercely. The noise he made in response was close to a sob.

She then turned a look on Mayu that was so full of hatred that it actually made her take a step back. “If your husband is dead, I’ll consider us even. If not - rest assured. I’ll be back for him, and I’ll make sure he suffers before it’s over.”

Mayu was already reacting, Wara Wara rolling onto her feet and lunging for her. Haya reached into her tunic and pulled something out. She kept her eyes on Mayu while she slammed the object onto the ground. Smoke flooded the area and she disappeared from view.

“Fuck!” Mayu yelled. The smoke dispersed, and Mayu wasn’t surprised when she saw that Haya was gone.

She managed to wrap up the paralyzed monk with Bukimi’s Sticky Situation before dizziness hit her hard. She fell to her knees and expelled the noodles she’d eaten earlier onto the ground.

“Dammit,” she said and then scrambled as quickly as she could over to Shikamaru’s prone body.

“Please,” she whispered, swaying as she lifted a hand to fumble at Shikamaru’s collar. “Please, please, please...”

She sobbed in relief when she felt a pulse, strong and steady against her fingers.

“Thank god.” She leaned down to put her forehead on his chest.

If he had been dead...she shuddered, unable to even contemplate it.

“Mayu-taicho!” She didn’t look up at the sound of Akito’s voice, since she’d probably pass out if she moved. Cool hands touched the back of her neck and she knew they were Hinata’s before she spoke.

“Mayu, are you hurt?”

“No, but Shikamaru -”

“Alright. Here, Akito, Luto, take her -”

Mayu ended up leaning back against the wall of the clothing store while Hinata worked on Shikamaru. Her hands were still shaking, but her dizziness was fading.

“Who were they?” Mayu asked Luto, who was crouched next to her, gaze sharp as he scanned the area for threats.

He had a long cut up his arm and was covered in soot and small burns. They’d seen combat today, too. Most likely they had fought through the rest of the enemy monks to get to her.

“No idea,” he said, tone clipped and holding none of his usual cheer. “But we’re sure as hell going to find out.”

000

Mayu sat in the chair next to Shikamaru’s hospital bed, holding his hand and watching his slow, steady breathing.

She was furious. Somebody had tried to kill her husband, and they’d almost succeeded. As far as she’d been able to gather, nobody knew who they were or what their goal was outside of trying to kill Shikamaru.

“Mayu.” She looked over at Hinata, who was standing at the door holding a plate with a large sandwich on it. “You should eat.”

Mayu resisted the urge to snap at her to go away, that she didn’t _want_ to eat, but she knew Hinata was right. Shikamaru had almost died protecting their baby, the least she could do was feed and water it.

Hinata must have recognized her acceptance because she came in and pulled a chair up next to Mayu before setting the plate on the bed in front of her. Mayu picked up the sandwich and took a petulant bite. It was good, which meant Hinata had probably gone home to make it for her instead of buying it in the cafeteria.

“He’s okay, Mayu,” Hinata said a few minutes later when Mayu had eaten most of the food and was half-heartedly picking at the rest.

Mayu glanced over at her and then away. “While I was fighting them, I wasn’t -” she cut off and blinked rapidly, and Hinata covered her hand with her own.

“You thought he might be dead,” she said in her gentlest tone, and Mayu nodded.

“It’s because he was protecting me.”

“Of course he was. He loves you, and he loves your baby.”

Mayu sniffled. “I’ve been calling it my peanut,” she admitted. “Because that’s what it looks like right now.”

Hinata giggled and Mayu looked over at her. Their eyes met, and Mayu joined her laughter, though it was a little wet.

“I’ve been feeling so unsure about the whole baby thing the past few days, but when we were attacked, all I could think about was keeping it safe. To the point where I - I let Shikamaru sacrifice his safety to protect me.”

“Oh, Mayu,” Hinata said.

“I never thought I’d choose anything over him, but now everything's different and, Hinata...I’m so scared.”

Hinata’s face softened, but before she could speak a familiar, if gravelly voice cut in. “You don’t need to be afraid.”

Mayu squeaked and spun to look at Shikamaru. The plate of food went flying when she dove forward and peppered his drawn face with kisses.

“You’re okay,” she said, voice wobbling.

She was vaguely aware of Hinata leaving the room and closing the door behind her but she was too busy burying her face in his neck while he awkwardly patted her hair with his uninjured hand to say goodbye.

“‘Course I am,” he muttered.

She pulled back. “How do you feel?”

“Like somebody hit me in the head with a sledgehammer. My arm hurts, too. And my back.” The burns he’d ended up with were thankfully no worse than first and second degree, but she was sure they were still pretty uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, people with concussions don’t get the good stuff,” she said and tried to smile.

He sighed and reached up to run a thumb across her cheek. “Are you okay? I can’t remember anything past the blast.”

“Yeah. I wasn't seriously injured, just a little bruised, but mom still looked me over. The baby seems fine, too.”

He breathed out slowly. “Okay. That - that’s good.”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

He closed his eyes and swallowed. “Fucking concussions.”

“Just rest,” she said and helped him take a drink of water. “I promise I’ll tell you all the details when you wake up, okay?”

He grumbled in annoyance but closed his eyes and fell back asleep. Mayu watched him for a few minutes before squeezing his hand and standing to leave the room. She turned and pointed at the ANBU stationed outside Shikamaru's door after stepping into the hallway.

“If something happens to him on your watch you’ll learn exactly what it feels like to have a sword rammed up your -”

“Mayu,” Itachi said behind her with a sigh. “I was hoping to have a moment of your time. Perhaps you could stop threatening my shinobi long enough to speak with me?”

“Itachi-sama! I was just on my way to find you,” she said, spinning around after sending one last narrow-eyed look at the stoic ANBU. “I want to know everything you do about these so-called monks so that I can find them and then grind them into dust.” 

Itachi raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression that Father ordered you to rest.”

“I did. I’m totally rested. See?” She held her arms out to the side.

Itachi’s lips twitched. “You could use a shower,” he pointed out as she fell into step next to him.

“Yeah, well, nobody’s perfect.”

“There is a debriefing on the situation in forty-five minutes, now that we’ve had a chance to regroup. That should be enough time for you to clean up. It’s in the large conference room at MPF headquarters.”

Mayu glanced over at him. “I’ll be there,” she said, tone unyielding.

She was going to ensure that people thought twice before coming after her husband. Plus, she had to make sure that Haya never had a chance to follow through on her promise. Losing Shikamaru wasn’t an option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, is that...plot that I see? :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected member is added to the Exploding Monks Task Force, and Mayu continues to work on the curious case of Who's Boinking Torii.

“I have to go,” Shikamaru said. “I’m sorry, but you know I do.”

Mayu glared at him. “You’re being targeted by a group of crazy monks who have shown that they are more than willing to blow themselves up just for a chance to kill you! Leaving the village is the _last_ thing you should do.”

“I’ll be with Itachi-sama and the rest of his guard. We’re staying in the middle of the Allied Forces Headquarters and all the other Kage will be attendance, as well. Nobody is going to try to get at me there.”

“Yeah, but what about when you’re traveling? You’ll be vulnerable, and you’re still recovering.”

“Mayu.” Shikamaru pressed his fingers into his eyes.

“See! You still have a headache. What is Itachi-sama even thinking, insisting that you -”

“He’s thinking that we’re in the middle of an international political disaster,” he snapped, and she took a step back, chest clenching at his tone.

“Fine,” she said and wrapped her arms around herself. “I get it. You can insist that I take care of myself -”

“Mayu -”

“-to the point where you have my friends and family _following me around_ like I’m an infant -”

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry I snapped -”

“-but god forbid I be allowed to worry about my husband and the father of _our child_ running around with a big target painted on his back!” She threw her hands up in the air and then crossed them back over her chest to settle in for some well-deserved fuming.

Shikamaru took a deep breath and then sank down on their couch. It had been five days since the attack, and all hell had broken loose. Shikamaru wasn’t the only person that the group of monks had targeted. They’d made a coordinated attack on critical political figures throughout the Elemental Nations.

They hadn’t bothered to attack well-guarded people such as the kages or their families. Instead, they’d focused on those figures who were well-known and central to the stability of the Allied forces that were more vulnerable.

People like Shikamaru, who was an essential member of Itachi’s inner circle. He had well-established connections to politicians from multiple countries that he'd made during his time in the Allied Forces and as Itachi’s advisor. He was, simply put, a problem solver for both Konoha and her allies.

Not everybody had been lucky enough to survive the attacks, and it was enough of a blow to cause a political shitstorm. The kage had called a summit in response and were meeting at the Allied Forces HQ in two days’ time. It was mostly a way to ensure that the good relations between the nations were solidified in the face of losing a few key players.

“Mayu, you know I don’t want to go, right? I don’t want to leave you and the peanut. But we have to deal with these monks. You know what extremists like them are capable of. If you want me to be safe in the long run, I need to take care of this now.”

Mayu looked away from his tired, drawn face, worry and anger and the overall sense that this wasn’t _fair_ moving through her. “I wish I could come,” she finally said, staring down at her feet.

“I know.” When she looked over at him, he was smiling. He lifted a hand and motioned for her to sit with him. She crossed the room quickly and curled up at his side.

“It’ll be okay.” He ran a soothing hand up her spine. “Your old team and some ANBU are escorting us, and we know the monks don’t have a lot of manpower or any heavy-hitters.”

“No, but they have a good strategist,” Mayu pointed out.

“What am I, chopped liver?”

She smiled against his neck. “You said it, not me.” She laughed and squirmed when he dug his fingers into her side in retaliation.

“You’ll take care of yourself while I’m gone?” he asked after a few minutes of judicious cuddling.

“Yeah, of course. I think Ensui is planning on bodily escorting me to stay at his house while you and Kakashi-sensei are gone. It’s ridiculous; I don’t need a _babysitter.”_

Shikamaru sighed. “Mayu, two days ago you passed out after discovering that the Science Corps. was using your lab to store an excess of beakers.”

Mayu bristled. “Well, yeah, that’s _my lab,_ those hacks shouldn’t even be looking at it, let alone storing their crappy beakers -”

“Yes, Mayu, I remember,” Shikamaru said quickly, probably trying to head off the tirade he’d already heard four times in the past two days. “I’m just saying, if you pass out and hit your head or something, nobody would know for hours.”

“I’m perfectly capable of keeping my blood pressure level.”

“I know,” he said, voice overly reassuring. “It would just make everybody feel better.”

“Everybody can suck it,” she said with a huff.

He went silent, and she could practically feel him brooding, so she gave into the inevitable. _“But,_ if it means you won’t be distracted and worried while you’re running around tempting people to blow you up, I guess I could stay with Ensui-nii.” He’d probably feed her ice cream and let her complain all she wanted about the unfair double standards she was forced to live by.

He was also busy enough that he wouldn’t even notice when she decided to do...whatever things she’d probably get up to once she became bored enough.

“You’ll send me any new information you get on the exploding monks?” she asked.

“Yeah, of course. You and Fugaku are heading up our local investigation, after all.”

“I just really wish you didn’t have to leave right now. Everything’s so...” she trailed off and put a hand over her stomach.

He kissed her temple and covered her hand with his own. It was warm and familiar and soothed some of her anxiety. “Yeah, me too. I shouldn’t be gone longer than a week and a half. Two at most.”

“Alright, I’ll stop being a nagging wife.” She sighed dramatically, and he chuckled.

“I like it when you nag me.”

“That’s because Nara men are masochists.”

“Well, I did like that thing you did with the rope and ninja wire a few weeks ago,” he rumbled into her ear, and she shivered.

“Oh yeah? You wanna recreate that before you go?”

“Hmm, I think you should probably be gentle with me since I’m still recovering,” he said loftily. “In fact, you should probably do most of the work -”

“You’re such an ass,” she said, but she was laughing when she covered his mouth with her own.

000

Mayu wasn’t sulking over Shikamaru leaving, no matter how wide the berth her team was giving her said otherwise. Well, except Hinata, because Hinata was a good friend who brought her herbal tea and sweet buns and sympathy.

“Oh my god, Torii, seriously?” she yelled towards his office from her desk. “How many forms am I expected to approve for one stupid overtime request?”

“Welcome to leadership!” his voice called back, and she sent a chakra thread to his door and slammed it shut before he could say anything else annoying.

“Being Torii’s assistant is the worst. I feel sorry for whoever his boyfriend is,” she grumped at Hinata, who was unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile behind her hand. “He probably has to fill out paperwork in triplicate just to get a blowjob.”

“Boyfriend?” Mayu’s eyes widened, and her shoulders scrunched up to her ears.

Slowly, she spun in her chair to face an overly-calm-looking Hayao. The mug in his hand gave away that he had been crossing the bullpen after refilling his tea in the breakroom.

Huh. So Hayao didn’t know that Torii was seeing somebody, though from the cool way they addressed each other whenever they were in the same room Torii still hadn’t given into his charms after rejecting him. Much to Hayao’s dismay. He might not be the monogamous type, but it was pretty apparent to everybody with eyes that if he were, he would have put on a ring on Torii years ago.

Mayu cheered up at the opportunity to mess with him. “Well, yeah. Haven’t you noticed how, you know, _satisfied_ he looks lately?”

She heard Akito sigh from where he was hiding behind a pile of folders. “Add in the new wardrobe, recent haircut, and the fact that he’s turned down four invitations from friends on the force in the past two weeks to hang out after work...”

She let herself trail off as Hayao’s grip tightened on his cup. Luto, because he was an amazing teammate who loved Mayu, picked up where she’d left off.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen him smile this much in years. Whoever it is must know how to treat a man right.”

“He does seem very happy,” Hinata added in a sweet, innocent voice.

“...Last week he filled out some of my paperwork for me after I did it wrong without scolding me,” Akito added, and his voice sounded grudging, though she still couldn’t see his face.

Hayao’s eyes narrowed fractionally, and Mayu forced herself to turn back to her paperwork calmly instead of crowing in victory when she saw his jaw tick.

“I see,” he finally said, then stalked off towards his office without another word.

Mayu waited until his door closed behind him before cackling, then held up both her hands. Luto and Hinata high-fived her, and they all went back to their work without another word. Junto, who had been given the empty desk next to Akito, spent a good thirty seconds staring at them before shaking his head minutely and going back to the cold case files Mayu had plopped on his desk that morning. Eh, he’d learn to love them.

Mayu was dragging by two that afternoon but did her best to hide it when she entered the room they were using for the Case of the Exploding Monks. She was still waiting for the name to catch on. Fugaku was standing at the head of the table; arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at an open file on the surface in front of him.

Mayu sidled over and then peeked around him. She tilted her head to the side and mouthed _‘Bishu Water Temple.’_ There were pictures of an island in the middle of a calm ocean with sheer cliff faces thrusting up out of the water and lush trees and plants growing on every visible flat surface. Set at the very top, nestled in the leafy, tall trees, was a squat building made of sparkly white stone.

A waterfall was emerging from beneath it and tumbling down the cliffs and into the ocean hundreds of feet below. A meandering staircase was cut into the other side of the rock and weaved in and out of view. Mayu assumed it led to the temple, though she couldn’t see the end of it from the picture’s angle.

She squinted and craned around him to look closer when she saw what looked like small, white dots congregated in front of the temple. She leaned forward, careful not to put her weight on Fugaku, who was side-eyeing her.

“Oh,” she said when she finally figured out what she was looking at. “Those are more of the Exploding Monks!”

Fugaku sighed but didn’t say anything when she swiped up the pictures and started sorting through them. He strode over to one of the boards on the wall that was full of the scant information they had on the attackers and began moving things around.

The next picture was of the back of the temple. There were a lot of fountains and what was probably a training ground. How had they even gotten these aerial views? A summons?

She faltered when she got to the fourth photo. “It’s destroyed,” a voice said behind her, and she jumped half a foot in the air, papers scattering around her.

She spun around to face Shisui and only got a quick look at his apologetic expression before Fugaku blurred over and picked him up by the front of his shirt. He slammed him up against the whiteboard at the front of the table, resulting in hairline cracks extending out from his back. Well, there went their extra budget that everyone was hoping would go towards a new fridge in the Investigations break room. For once, it wasn’t her fault.

Fugaku kept Shisui pressed up against the wall with a forearm across his chest. Shisui had his hands raised in the air and was holding very, very still.

“That was rude,” Fugaku said in his scariest tone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle her. It’s - the seals suppress a lot of my chakra, and sometimes I forget to relax my hold on the rest of it. I swear, it wasn’t intentional.”

Fugaku’s face was icy, and his Sharingan was whirling. Mayu put a hand on the table and took a shaky breath, willing her heartbeat to slow down before she made things worse by swooning like a character from Jiraiya’s books.

“It’s okay, shishou. It was my fault. I wasn’t enhancing my senses because some idiot brought tuna for lunch and the smell was making me sick. I’ll pay more attention next time. Shisui-san probably assumed that I knew he was there.”

It was pretty embarrassing that she hadn’t known he was there. She was difficult to sneak up on these days, even with her lack of chakra sensitivity.

Fugaku’s fist tightened its hold on the fabric of Shisui’s shirt before he relaxed his grip. He stepped back and breathed out, then turned his back to Shisui and strode over to help Mayu pick up papers that she had scattered everywhere without saying another word.

 _Awkward._ She and Fugaku had never really discussed Shisui’s betrayal, or how he felt about his release. From that little scene, she was going to go out on a limb and say the answer was ‘not great.’

When she glanced over at Shisui, she barely stopped herself from wincing. He was staring at Fugaku with an expression of devastation. His face smoothed into his usual affable mein when he noticed her looking, though. It was a reminder of how good he was at hiding himself, and she was torn between pity, distrust, and annoyance at the fact that she couldn’t tell if he was playing her.

“I apologize, Mayu-san,” Shisui said again as he straightened his robes.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled, and stood, accepting the rest of the photos from Fugaku. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“He has been added to the task force,” Fugaku said, tone bland.

Mayu looked over at him, and then away. “Uh,” she said.

Was this Itachi’s way of forcing Shisui back into interaction with the clan? If so, it sucked. Too bad he was out of the village - she couldn’t even stomp into his office and watch Sai twitch while she complained directly at him.

Shisui’s lips quirked up on one side. “Yeah, that was my reaction, too.”

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Ensui said from the door, and Mayu sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Well, this was going to be fun.

Ensui and Mayu ended up on one side of the table with Shisui on the other. He was trying to look relaxed and unaffected by Ensui’s murder-glare, but there was only so much stoicism in the universe to pull from. The Death Shroud looking at you like he was imagining hanging you from the ceiling by your intestines was not easy to ignore.

Fugaku was at the head of the table, and he’d added the photos of the water temple to the corkboard. “Alright,” he said. “We have more information on the group that attacked the village six days ago. As you know, this was a large-scale hit. They coordinated the attack to coincide with strikes on prominent political figures in Suna, Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo.

“They were successful in both Iwa and Kumo, killing two well-known diplomats. The Kazekage’s sister was injured badly but is expected to live, and we know that Nara Shikamaru was injured as well. From information Mayu gleaned while fighting them along with reports we received from the other villages, we know that their goal was destabilization of the Elemental Nations.”

Shisui frowned. “If that’s true, why didn’t they attack the Allied Forces HQ?”

“Security’s too tight,” Mayu offered, reticence momentarily forgotten in lieu of the excitement of a new case. “It’s a smaller area to guard, for one, and it’s made up almost completely of Shinobi forces. No civilians, no extra buildings or merchants moving in and out, and an outsider would stick out like a sore thumb.”

Shisui nodded and went back to flipping through the pages. Fugaku cleared his throat and motioned towards the corkboard, where he’d hung the pictures up. “Until this morning, we didn’t know the motive.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. “That crater,” she said. “It looks similar to the one Pein put into Konoha five years ago.”

“As it should since it was Pein’s jutsu that created it. Ten years ago,” Fugaku continued, “the Bishu Monks and their Water Temple were attacked by Pein.

“When Konan heard about the recent assault, she traveled to the Allied Forces HQ to offer up everything she knew about the situation. Uchiha Obito,” Fugaku said, and Mayu thought he probably had to force himself to even say the name, “asked Pein to do it after he discovered that their library held a piece of information he wanted destroyed.”

Mayu frowned. “Do we know what the information was?”

Fugaku shook his head. “No. Since Obito is unreachable and Pein is dead, we may never know unless one of the monks decides to tell us. The one in custody didn’t volunteer the information, either.”

The monk that Mayu had captured had been pretty useless, in general. Like Mayu, he had the organized mind and strong defenses that resulted from a lot of meditation used in conjunction with the application of chakra. His safeguards weren’t as strong as Mayu’s, most likely because he lacked her intellect. When the Yamanaka had come close to tearing them down, he’d destroyed a good portion of his psyche to keep the information safe.

He was alive, but not exactly functioning or able to provide them with information. Mayu had been grudgingly impressed. If it were her, she’d have done the same thing. A fate worse than death, perhaps, but death wasn’t always an option.

“Kakashi-sensei doesn’t know where Obito is?” Mayu asked.

“No,” Ensui answered. “Since he left on his travels, Kakashi hasn’t heard from him.”

Mayu knew that Obito was a bit of a sensitive subject in the Nara-Hatake household, so she left it at that. When he’d been released from the Allied Forces’ prison, he’d refused offers of eye transplants and had asked the kage to keep his chakra sealed. He’d stated that he wanted nothing more to do with the shinobi lifestyle, and wished to live the rest of his days in peace.

The next day they’d found his guards knocked out and a note assuring Itachi that he wasn’t going to cause any more trouble for the world. The consensus from his army of therapists was that he was probably telling the truth, though that didn’t stop them from looking for him. So far the only thing they’d found were rumors of a blind man wandering around saving random people and then disappearing again.

It was suspected but never proven that he had help in his escape since a blind man with most of his chakra sealed would have had a hard time evading the shinobi of the Allied Forces. Mayu thought that Obito was probably intelligent enough to have managed it on his own, but she also believed that Kakashi had helped him.

Ensui had slept in Mayu’s old bedroom at Shikaku and Yoshino’s for a week afterward. In the end, though, he’d gone back. He was a Nara man, after all, and it took a lot more than a little treason to make them turn their backs on someone they loved.

“So Akatsuki destroyed their temple and killed a bunch of their members,” Shisui said in a bland tone.

“Yes. Since it’s now common knowledge that Akatsuki was born from the conflicts between villages, we can assume that the Bishu monks have decided that the shinobi villages are the ultimate cause.”

Mayu sighed. “They do realize that they’re doing the _exact same thing_ that Akatsuki did, right?”

People were so dull. Mayu much preferred chasing down serial killers to crazy extremists, but needs must. Plus, she had a personal grudge against this particular group, so would suffer through it.

“Okay, so they’re not just monks, they’re displaced monks,” Mayu said, then stood and crossed over to the large map hanging on the wall. “It’s been ten years...which means they’re all still living together somewhere.”

Shisui cleared his throat and moved up next to her as she stuck a pin in the island that used to house their temple. “We should probably be looking for temples or holy places that we previously thought were abandoned.”

Mayu nodded and ignored the way the skin on the side he was standing at was prickling. “Right. They seemed like they’re still practicing, and people like that would look for a place where they would feel close to their faith and beliefs.”

“I used to have a few contacts that might be able to help us out with that,” Shisui offered.

Ensui scoffed. “You think we’re stupid enough to let you send communications outside of the village?

Shisui stiffened next to her, and his lips pressed together. “I’ve been taking missions outside of the village for the past three months, as you well know, _Commander._ If I were going to defect or send out messages, I’d have done it already.”

Mayu’s eyes widened. “You’re in ANBU again? What the hell?”

“He’s not ANBU,” Ensui snapped. “He runs solo missions for Itachi that ANBU rejected.”

Mayu frowned as she realized what he was saying. “Wait, they’re sending you on suicide missions?”

She didn’t like Shisui much, but she didn’t want him to die. He was probably the father of her future godchildren, after all, once Mayu convinced Hinata she wasn’t betraying some sacred friendship trust by loving him.

Ensui had moved to stand (loom) at Mayu’s back and glare at Shisui, and she was tempted to take a page from Sasuke’s book and put two fingers to her forehead. It was a sure sign that a situation was out of control when she was the one taking the role of ‘mature individual.’

“They’re supposed to be _secret_ suicide missions,” Ensui grumbled just as Shisui said, “They’re not suicide missions.”

“Can we focus, please?” Fugaku snapped. “We’ll use alternate means of identifying possible locations for the monks.”

Mayu frowned. “But, shishou, if Shisui thinks he can -”

“End of discussion, Mayu.”

She scowled but didn’t argue. Mayu wasn’t exactly the leader of Shisui’s fan club, but she was pretty sure he wouldn’t be sending off secret, evil messages to secret, evil minions under the guise of asking about the location of temples.

Ensui continued to glare at Shisui for the rest of the meeting while Mayu resisted the urge to lean against him and nap since most of it was going over things they already knew to bring their newest member of the team up to date. She was more than a little relieved when it ended.

“Mayu,” Fugaku called when she stood and stretched, and she wandered over to him as Shisui made a quick but dignified exit, Ensui following close behind. He was probably planning on not-so-subtly threatening Shisui with death and dismemberment if he looked at Mayu wrong.

“Hey, shishou, what’s up?”

“It might be best if I removed you from the task force.”

Mayu straightened. “What? Why?”

Fugaku cleared his throat. “I can understand that you’re probably uncomfortable with Shisui on the team -”

“So, what, you’re kicking _me_ off? And I’m not uncomfortable! I’m fine. You and Ensui seem way more upset than me,” she grumbled, then cringed when Fugaku leveled an unimpressed look her way.

“Be that as it may -”

“No.” Mayu raised her chin and met his surprised gaze. It wasn’t a word she often used with him, after all. “I am a grown woman and the future Head of the Investigations Department. If you do this, it will undermine my position to the whole force, not to mention, make it obvious to everybody that you distrust Shisui, and you know Itachi-sama and Naruto want to reintegrate him into the village.”

Fugaku pinched the bridge of his nose. “I agree that Shisui probably isn’t a danger. But if we're wrong, he’s been known to target children before,” he said coolly. “Pregnant women aren’t a far step up from that.”

Mayu tapped her fingers on the table. “You know...I’m a kunoichi first, Fugaku-shishou. I’m not going to take unnecessary risks with myself, but I still have to be able to do my job. Shisui served his time, and he’s been cleared by our Hokage and the Allied Council. I have to honor that. Itachi-sama wouldn’t put him on our team if he thought he was a danger to me.”

She met Fugaku’s eyes, determined to make him see what a terrible idea it was to remove her from the task force. Not just for her career and pride but politically, as well. Plus, nobody would be willing to give Shisui the benefit of the doubt if Fugaku and Mayu made it clear that they didn’t trust him. Usually, Mayu wouldn’t care, but she still remembered the look on Hinata’s face when she’d told her they’d broken up.

There was also the small matter of Mayu’s well-deserved revenge. She had thought Shikamaru might be dead for a full ninety seconds, and she didn’t plan on letting it go any time soon.

Okay, so this was ninety-five percent about her revenge and the need to keep Shikamaru safe by taking the monks out before they could get to him. Which was good for the baby, too, since it would lead a sad life indeed if it had Mayu as its single parent. So there; in the end, her decision to stay on the task force was what was best for the little peanut.

She was pulled from her triumphant thoughts when Fugaku sighed. “Fine. Ensui-san and I will just have to ensure the two of you are never alone.”

Mayu breathed out in relief. “Great! Okay, well, I’m going to go to Intelligence and request information about temples -”

“No, you are going to go home and rest. I’ll send Shisui.”

Mayu slumped but knew it was better not to press her luck. “Fine,” she grumbled.

When she left the room and saw that Ensui was waiting at her desk to herd her home, she stomped over and slammed a hand down on its surface, making Junto flinch where he was still looking over the files she’d put on his desk.

“I am perfectly capable of walking home by myself!”

Ensui shrugged. “Sure, but I wanted to walk with you since we’re heading in the same direction anyway.”

Mayu glared at him. “You aren’t fooling anybody,” she hissed.

Ensui just infuriated her more when he rolled his eyes. “Can we skip the part where you chew me out and go straight to you forgiving me when I tell you about the dumplings I’m going to buy you for dinner?”

“I want sushi,” Mayu said and put her nose in the air, though she was secretly feeling mollified by the promise of food. “Junto, you can go now. We’ll go over that tomorrow.”

Junto looked like he wanted to argue, but he must have sensed that she was starting to feel the urge to smash somebody with Bukimi because he merely bowed and busied himself locking the folders into his desk.

“Well, Sakura says you can’t eat sushi,” Ensui continued the conversation as she fell into step next to him.

“What? How do you even know that? Are you _spying_ on me?”

“Yes, Mayu-chan, I’ve been following you around for years now. Whatever will I do now that you’ve figured it out,” he deadpanned as they exited the building.

“Shikamaru told you,” she said with a sigh.

“Yep.”

She settled on the silent treatment for the rest of their walk to the restaurant but thawed once their food arrived. “Yay,” she said and shoved a pork and vegetable dumpling into her mouth.

Ensui waited until she’d eaten a few more bites before speaking. “How are you feeling about everything?”

Mayu set down her chopsticks and eyed him warily. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Shikamaru told me you were little apprehensive about the baby, and Kakashi said that your reaction to the news wasn’t exactly positive.”

Mayu fiddled with the napkin in her lap. “I was freaking out at first,” she admitted. “I’m still pretty nervous, but. I don’t know. I’m excited too?”

Ensui’s face softened into a smile. “I’m glad. You two talked about names yet?”

Mayu huffed. “We won’t even know the sex for another four weeks. Besides, I’m sure it’ll be something ridiculous like Shikataku or Shikalu.”

Ensui chuckled. “Probably. Shikamayu,” he offered, and dodged the dumpling she flicked at him with a chakra thread.

“You know, Ino and Chouji aren’t even dating anybody seriously,” Mayu pointed out. “Does that mean the clan expects me to have _another_ Shika-something? Come to think of it...did past Ino-Shika-Chos plan out their baby making? How does that even work?” They were crazy if they thought Mayu was going to go through this again. If Shikamaru wanted more kids after this, he could take himself on down to the orphanage and pick one out there.

Ensui smiled. “They plan it, as far as I know. At least they did with Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Bit of a shit show, to be honest. Your accidental pregnancy broke three generations of tradition.”

Mayu collapsed backward in her chair and groaned. “Great, another thing for the elders to hate me for.”

“Eh, they’ll get over it. I think it’ll be nice to have the heir branch out into other team formations. I’m sure somebody else in the clan will pop out a kid that they can throw on the same team with Ino and Chouji’s spawn.”

Mayu shrugged and took another bite. “Maybe they won’t be a shinobi at all.”

She glanced up when Ensui didn’t reply. “What?” she said around her food at his frown.

“That’s...not really an option, you know. The elders will insist.”

“The elders can eat a dick,” Mayu said hotly. “If my kid doesn’t want to be a ninja, then they won’t be.”

Ensui studied her, then huffed out a laugh and leaned over the table to ruffle her hair. “That’s my girl. You’ll be a good mother.”

Mayu ducked her head as warmth spread through her. “You think so?”

“I know so.” For the first time, Mayu thought that she might not do so horribly at the whole motherhood thing.

Mayu was sketching out a new design that she wanted to build for Chiasa as a starter puppet when there was a knock on Ensui’s door a few evenings later. She’d heard the visitors coming since she’d learned her lesson on not paying attention to her surroundings with Shisui.

“Come in, Kiba!”

She hadn’t seen him in over a month. He’d been on an escort mission with a group of merchants that needed a protection detail as they made their slow way across Fire and Water country. Which meant she hadn’t had the inevitable “Surprise! I’m pregnant!” conversation with him yet.

He bounded into the living room, Akamaru carefully making his way around the furniture to greet her. She reached out and scratched behind his ear. “Hey, Akamaru. Did you take good care of Kiba while you were gone? It’s a good thing he has you to be the brains of the operation.”

“Nice. I don’t see you for over a month, and you greet me with insults,” Kiba said.

“You missed me and my insults, admit it.”

Kiba hummed and tilted his head to the side. “So. Is it true?”

“Depends on what you’re referring to. If you heard a rumor about me dying, no. If you’re wondering if Shikamaru was really attacked by crazy monks that also blew up half of the shops by the MPF, yes.”

Kiba put his hand on his hips. “I’m _referring_ to the rumor that you’re pregnant.”

“Oh. Well. Uh. Yes. Yep. That one is also true - Kiba, put me down!”

He’d swept her up into a hug and was now swinging her around while she flailed. “That’s fantastic!”

She couldn’t help but smile in response to his enthusiasm, even if it was making her a little dizzy.

“Kid, if she throws up just after I’ve fed and watered her, you’re in charge of the refill,” Ensui said from the door.

“I’m not a _pet,”_ she said as Kiba stopped spinning and set her down, looking guilty.

“Shit, sorry, Mayu.”

She flapped a hand at him. “No, it’s okay, I’m not feeling sick at all right now. Ensui’s just being dramatic.”

“Man, I can’t believe you’re pregnant,” Kiba said over the top of Ensui’s grumbled reply about Mayu’s sordid history of vomiting at random times. “Shikamaru’s screwed, he’ll never have a calm day again. What is it, do you know yet? I hope it’s a girl so that it does something more interesting than sleep before the age of twelve.”

Mayu smiled at his easy joy for her. It made her feel less like this was a Big Deal and more like it was just a normal thing that happened to people. Sometimes Kiba was the best.

“We won’t know the sex for a while. And I don’t know, Shikamaru was so cute when he was a kid. I wouldn’t mind a boy.”

“Yeah, man, but how adorable would a little mini-you be. This is so great - yours and Hana’s kids might even end up on a team.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. “Hana’s pregnant?”

Kiba stilled. “Uh. Shit, I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody.”

“You make a terrible ninja,” Mayu said, unimpressed.

“I do not! If you were an enemy or stranger I wouldn’t have slipped, it’s just, you’re practically family, so I kinda thought you’d know already. You’re pregnant; she’s pregnant...”

“You better not ‘slip’ to anybody else that our Hokage’s wife is pregnant,” Ensui said in a serious tone. “It’s like an open invitation to anybody who would want to get to him.”

Kiba cringed. “Yeah. Shit, I screwed up,” he said miserably.

Mayu sighed and patted his hand. “It’s fine; I would have known as soon as I saw her, anyway. Maybe I’ll accidentally-on-purpose run into her this week; then it’ll be like you never told me.”

Ensui rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how this works.”

“How pregnant is she, anyway?” Mayu asked, once again ignoring Ensui’s commentary.

“Fourteen weeks. It’s, uh, twins.”

Mayu’s eyes widened. Well, that sounded stressful. “Wow. That’s...”

“Yeah. Itachi-sama’s really excited about it. All of the Uchiha are, actually. Fugaku is about ten percent less terrifying when he smiles.”

“Shishou is pretty scary,” Mayu said proudly, and then the conversation turned to Mayu’s creepiness and her love of weird things.

She fell asleep in the middle of a story Kiba was telling her about a run-in the merchants he had been guarding had with a llama.

000

“Shisui.”

“Mayu.” Shisui regarded her warily from the doorway to his apartment, which rivaled the one she once shared with Sasuke in levels of shittiness. “Did you need something?”

“Yeah, I need you to write those contacts you told us about so we can find the stupid temple.”

“Fugaku-sama changed his mind?”

“Yep.” She smiled, ignoring the way Junto was shifting uncomfortably behind her.

“Liar,” Shisui said, but he looked more amused than upset. “Who’s this?”

“This is my protegé,” she said proudly. “Aburame Junto. He’s here to make sure you don’t kill me and my unborn child.”

Shisui’s smile faded. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Mayu shrugged. “Well, you know, can’t be too careful. So. Your contacts?”

Shisui studied her. “I could lose any goodwill I’ve built with Itachi if I disregard his father’s orders, you know. It could even be considered a violation of my parole.”

Mayu had thought of that, of course, but she also knew they were at a dead end in the case, and Shikamaru’s safety was simply more important to her than Shisui’s ability to make friends and influence people. He sighed and stepped aside.

“Fine, come inside.”

Mayu turned. “Anzu, you’re with me. Momo, you stay out here.”

Anzu emerged from around the corner near the door leading to the stairwell. He was almost two hundred pounds now, and he currently looked like he was ready to rip Shisui apart. He stalked forward, tail and ears twitching in agitation, floorboards creaking under his weight.

“Hello, Anzu. You’ve grown,” Shisui said, and the large cat just growled in response.

Mayu had concluded after working closely with him the last week and a half that Shisui was not, in fact, biding his time until he could play out his next evil plan. In truth, he seemed tired, sad, and excruciatingly lonely. It could all be a ruse, of course, but Mayu didn’t think so. It was difficult to fake that level of emotional pain.

So she was taking a chance and trusting him, at least with this one thing. Even if she was wrong and he was playing them, he wouldn’t try to attack her, since it would be in his best interest to win her over in the long run. If he wanted her dead, he’d have gotten on with it already in some other way, not waited for her to show up at his door. Still, she’d brought Junto and her summons along as a nod to her new goal of being a responsible, somewhat-capable mother.

Junto’s kikaichu swarmed past her to check for any threats, and she paused in the hallway so that they could do their thing, ignoring the way Shisui’s proximity to her in the small space made her back break out in sweat.

“Clear,” Junto said, and she took in the holes in the carpeting and the stained walls as she continued into the living room and kitchen area.

The furniture was high-quality and looked strange against the backdrop of the dumpy apartment. Mayu knew Shisui had some money saved up that the village had given him access to when he’d been released, so why was he living there?

“Nobody else would rent to me,” Shisui said in response to her unasked question. He didn’t look overly upset about it, so she decided not to do something stupid like feeling sorry for him. Well, she didn’t feel _that_ sorry for him. Dammit, she was going to blame the ache in her chest on hormones.

“Can’t imagine why,” she said to hide her reaction.

Shisui rolled his eyes and sat down on a comfortable-looking chair. Mayu sat on the couch across from him and raised an eyebrow at Junto when he stood behind her and to her right instead of sitting. It looked like she had a self-appointed bodyguard. She decided to just roll with it. Anzu settled at her feet and turned his unblinking gaze to Shisui.

“So. You want me to reach out to my contacts. What am I supposed to say if they find something?”

“Tell me, and I’ll pass the information on.”

“How do I know this isn’t your version of a test? After all, you’re the one who told me in no uncertain terms what would happen if I broke the law again.”

“You aren’t breaking the law,” Mayu said in a bored tone. “I outrank you these days, so if Fugaku gets upset, it’s on me.”

“That’s a technicality, and you know it.”

“Yeah, well, we both know that Fugaku isn’t exactly thinking clearly when it comes to you. Itachi put you on the team for a reason, after all. He knows you have contacts in the international world that aren’t just political. That’s useful in an investigation like this. So you can do nothing while these people target my husband, or you can at least attempt to be a decent human being and help me track them down.”

“According to just about everybody in this village, I’m not a decent human being.”

“Oh, cry me a river,” she snapped. “It was never going to be easy, and you knew that. If you want forgiveness and trust, you’ll have to work for it.”

Shisui surprised her by laughing. “Still as charming as ever, I see.”

“Fuck off,” she grumbled, but it was half-hearted, and he knew it.

“Alright. Let me put some missives together along with directions on how to get in touch with them. We should probably use your summons to deliver the messages.”

“Agreed.”

Anzu _humphed_ , probably unhappy at being sent away. If she needed him, though, she could always summon him back to her side. Shisui stood and disappeared further into the apartment, presumably to get the supplies he needed to write out his messages.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Junto asked, and Mayu craned her neck to beam up at him.

“Questioning the orders of your superior. I’m so proud.” He sighed, and she patted his hand. “Don’t worry; he won’t betray us on this.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it’d be a stupid time to do so,” Shisui said as he emerged from the hallway. “If I were planning on rebuilding my empire, I’d wait a few years at the very least to make my move.”

“Because you’d want everyone around you to become complacent,” Junto said, and she was pretty sure he was giving Shisui the stink eye from behind his glasses.

“That’s right. And Mayu here is going to look over what I write. I doubt there’s any code or secret message I could come up with that she wouldn’t be able to crack.”

Mayu just sniffed. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere with me.”

Shisui grinned, and it was so reminiscent of the way they used to interact back when they worked together on the police force that it made her chest tighten. She mostly tried to forget that they were friends, once upon a time, but it was difficult when he was sitting in front of her in his shitty apartment, so lonely that he was happy to have a distrustful Aburame and a bitchy Nara visit him.

Mayu watched him scribble out a few lines on a sheet of paper and took it from him without comment when he handed it over. It was written in code, but that was to be expected, and she figured out the key quickly enough.

“The Blue Crow? Really? That’s your secret underground name?”

Shisui shrugged. “There’s a story behind it. Maybe I’ll tell you one day.”

Mayu rolled her eyes at his exaggerated mysteriousness, and he chuckled. “Did you figure out the code, Junto?”

He hesitated and leaned in closer. “I...believe so. Yes. I see it now, though I didn’t until you said ‘The Blue Crow.’”

“That’s alright, it’s a pretty clever one, actually. We’ll spend a day on cryptology soon.” She must have sounded too delighted at the prospect because he winced.

Maybe she’d use her second Chunin exams for inspiration and lock him in a box that would slowly fill with water until he cracked a code. Or rats. Hmmm.

“I remember when it was you being tortured by Dai and me,” Shisui said as he pushed the second missive towards her.

Mayu took the paper from him. “You tried to blow Hinata and me up on three separate occasions.”

“Oh, please, you were never in any real danger.”

Mayu pressed her lips together, because that wasn’t true. The danger hadn’t been from the stupid simulations he put together but from Shisui himself. God, no wonder Hinata broke it off with Shisui if this is how confusing just hanging out with him for half an hour was. Why did he have to be so damn likable?

Shisui sighed at her silence and didn’t try to walk down memory lane again. They ended up with five separate letters, and Junto volunteered his summons - beetles, so cool - to take three of them while Momo and Anzu delivered two.

“I don’t know if they’re even still active, or alive,” Shisui warned as he walked them to his door. “It’s been years.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see,” Mayu said with a shrug. She hesitated at the doorway. “Shisui...thank you. I know this is a big chance for you to take.”

His breath caught, and she thought he might cry when he blinked rapidly. “I owe you much more than this, Mayu.”

“Right. Well, I’m going to go. Uh, thanks for not trying to kill me or take over my mind.”

He laughed. “No problem. I’ll see you at our next meeting.”

“Yep. Bye, Shisui.”

“Goodbye, Mayu,” he said, and then closed the door.

“Well, that was depressing,” Mayu said when they made it onto the street and sent Anzu and Momo off on their errands. The beetles were already on their way, and Mayu was still nursing a gash on her hand where one had bitten her when she’d tried to pick it up.

Junto looked over at her. “You used to be friends.”

Mayu shrugged. “He was more of a mentor, but yeah.”

“He tried to kill you.”

“Once or twice.”

“Yet you sought him out.”

Mayu yawned. Ugh, why did she have to be exhausted all the time? “I don’t think he’s going to hurt me,” she settled on.  

He was silent as he took that in, and they turned onto the main street. “Well, I’ll see you -”

“What will happen if Fugaku-sama discovers you asked Shisui to send out those messages against his orders?”

Mayu blinked at him. “Um. I guess he’ll take me off the task force and make me do all the station’s filing for the next six months. He can’t make me run or beat me up in the guise of training, so.”

He cocked his head to the side, well aware of how effective those two punishments would be in making her miserable. “Why did you trust me to come along and not report you to Fugaku-sama?”

“You’re a team-oriented person, so unless I did something treasonous or illegal you wouldn’t rat me out. You’re also very logical, so I knew you’d understand why I did it. Plus, you’re the only person I know who could hold his own against Shisui for longer than five seconds that wouldn’t be a complete bummer about me meeting up with him.”

Junto stared at her for a long moment, and she yawned again. “Very well,” he finally said. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“Sure,” she said and waved goodbye.

“What an adorable little protegé,” she mused to herself as soon as he was far enough away that he wouldn’t hear her. It was pretty cute, how pleased he’d looked at her explanation.

Ensui appeared at her side when she was about five minutes from the Nara compound. He put his arm around her and tugged her against him so he could kiss the top of her head.

“Hey, kid. I heard you sent Anzu and Momo off on some secret errand.”

Mayu sighed. “Can I do nothing in this village without it making it back to you?”

“Nope.”

“If you must know, I’m in the process of making Chiasa her first puppet for her birthday. I’m trying to get ahold of some rare wood and a few poisons. I sent one missive to Kankuro, and one to a contact in Grass, alright?”

He hummed and gave her a narrow-eyed look, but his face softened when she yawned so wide that her jaw cracked.

“The peanut giving you trouble?” He’d picked up on her nickname in the past few weeks of their cohabitation.

“Not really. I didn’t feel sick at all today. I’m just tired, is all.”

“Hmm. Well, we can do a quick dinner of leftovers, and then you can hit the sack. You working tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Torii is in the midst of teaching me all the varying and sundry ways I can suffer via paperwork.”

Ensui laughed. “Sounds like Torii.”

“Mm-hmm. Hey, have you seen him hanging out with anyone new lately?”

“Not really. Why?”

“No reason,” she said absently. Aimi hadn’t had any new information when they’d spoken yesterday, either, other than letting her know that he’d been around in the evenings more the past week or so.

Mayu didn’t think he’d broken it off with his mysterious lover; he’d been in way too good of a mood. She was aware of what his breakup face looked like, and it hadn’t made an appearance since the last time he and Hayao had a blowout.

Which meant this person was either busy or out of the village. Was he part of the contingent that went to the Allied Forces HQ? Maybe it was one of Itachi’s ANBU. That would make it more difficult to figure out, but not impossible.

Mayu picked at her food, too tired to have much of an appetite, and then wandered upstairs to take a shower. She crawled between the sheets of the guest bed she’d claimed as her own and fell asleep almost immediately.

She woke up to the sounds of voices outside her room, and then her door creaked open, and she sat up when a familiar face was illuminated by moonlight.

“Sweetheart,” Shikamaru said.

She opened her arms, and he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her against him. His lips and nose were cold from being outside, along with his flak jacket, but she tugged him closer despite the chill. His hands ran up her back, and the anxiety she’d been feeling over the possibility of him being attacked faded.

She pulled back and studied him. He looked tired but otherwise fine. He was taking her in, too, and she didn’t miss the way he relaxed after he verified she was all in one piece.

“Everything go okay while I was gone?”

She shoved her face in his neck and nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s good. I think the peanut missed you.”

“Oh yeah?” He sounded pleased, and one of his hands moved over her abdomen.

“Uh huh.”

She kissed his neck and tilted her head when she heard Kakashi and Ensui talking to each other across the hall. “You should take me home,” she said.

“You sure? Ensui-oji said you’ve been tired lately. We could stay here for tonight.”

Mayu shook her head. “This way sensei and nii-san don’t have to try to be quiet when they have ‘I missed you' sex." She turned her head and nibbled on his ear. “And neither do I.”

She laughed when he stood and scooped her up. “Well, when you put it like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses/wants-hopes-dreams on sex/name of little baby Nara? Hint: they won't be naming it Shikamayu. :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru finds out about the newest member of the task force, and Mayu, Naruto, and Sasuke spend some quality time together.

Shikamaru grumbled when Mayu’s alarm went off the next morning, then rolled over to trap her beneath him. She laughed and squirmed in an attempt to get out from under him, but he distracted her with a long, languorous kiss that had her wrapping her legs around his hips and burying her hands in his hair.

He ran a hand down her side, letting his tongue twist around hers as his other moved to push his boxers down. “Shikamaru, I don’t have time,” she gasped out after turning her head to the side to avoid his kisses.

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long,” he said truthfully, and she giggled when he moved his lips to her jaw.

Despite her token protest, she spread her legs wider when his fingers shoved her underwear to the side so that he could push into her.

All he’d wanted to do since he’d found out she was pregnant was wrap himself around her. Instead, he’d been forced to leave for two weeks after being attacked by yet another faction that had decided the best way to fight violence was with more violence. A group that had almost killed her and their peanut in an attempt to get to him.

Now that he had her under him he didn’t want to let her go. She must have sensed his need to be close to her, because she ran light fingers over his back and through his hair while he rocked into her, not protesting when he kept their lovemaking gentle. He came a few minutes later with a soft exhalation of air, and she let him hold her after instead of rushing out of bed to get ready for work.

“We’re okay, you know,” she said.

“I know. I just missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” After another few minutes, she sighed. “I really have to get ready to go.”

Shikamaru lifted himself up on his elbows and looked down at her. “Alright. I’ll walk you.”

Mayu was only five minutes late by the time they entered the MPF. She raised an eyebrow when he followed her inside. “I wanted to talk to Fugaku-sama about some contracts dad’s hoping to set up with the Uchiha,” he explained.

It wasn’t exactly a lie. His dad had asked him to handle it, but Shikamaru also wanted to talk to Hinata and see how Mayu had been feeling the past few weeks. He knew she’d been keeping the less-than-pleasant aspects of pregnancy from him as best as she could, probably to avoid putting more stress on him.

He hated that he’d been so busy that other people in her life would know better than him how she was doing. There wasn’t a lot to be done about it, though.

Mayu raised an eyebrow at him, probably fully aware of what he was up to, and he just shrugged. She rolled her eyes, and he followed her across the bullpen towards her office. “Oh,” she said when she saw somebody waiting outside her door for her.

Shikamaru’s eyes widened when the man turned around, and he got a good look at his face. He tugged Mayu behind him, and his hands clenched into fists. “What the fuck are you doing here,” he ground out.

Shisui raised his hands in the air. “I can see the resemblance between you and your uncle quite clearly right now.”

Shikamaru took a step forward, enraged that the other man was so calm. “I told you to stay away from her, or I’d kill you.”

“You what?” Mayu said from behind him. “Oh my god. Shikamaru, stop it, I’m at _work,_ just. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s all go into my office and discuss this like adults.”

Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed. The last thing he wanted was for Mayu to be in a small room with Shisui. The last time he’d seen them in that situation, Shisui had kidnapped her after putting a sword to her throat.

“Shikamaru. You’re causing a scene,” Mayu hissed, and he glanced over at the bullpen and sighed when he saw that most of the eyes in the place were focused on them.

“Fine.”

“Thank you,” Mayu sniped, and went to step around him. She sighed explosively when he moved to keep himself between her and Shisui.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen Shisui since he was released. His proximity to Itachi meant that their paths crossed from time to time. Usually, Shikamaru ignored him and silently seethed, but seeing him this close to Mayu made his palms itch with the urge to wrap them around his neck.

Shisui took a few steps back, keeping hands in the air. His jaw was ticking, and his face was blank. Mayu unlocked the door with jerky movements and pushed it open. She held it and grumbled when Shikamaru motioned for her to move further into the room so he could keep an eye on both her and Shisui.

Shisui closed the door behind him and then leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. “To answer your question, Nara-san, I’m here to discuss an ongoing investigation with Mayu.”

“Last I heard you hadn’t been accepted back into the police force.”

“Itachi-sama put him on the Exploding Monks Task Force, Shika,” Mayu said, sounding annoyed with _him_ of all things.

“He - he _what?”_ Shikamaru had expected just about any explanation but that one. What the hell was Itachi playing at, putting Shisui on a team with his wife, whom he tried to kill on multiple occasions?

Mayu held up her hands. “It’s okay, really. Ensui-nii and Fugaku-shishou are always there with us.” She twitched in the way she always did when she wasn't a hundred percent truthful with him.

“You wanna try that again, sweetheart?” he gritted out.

“I - well, okay, I may have taken Junto with me to Shisui’s house to ask him for some -”

“Get out.” Shikamaru pointed at the door and stared Shisui down.

“Alright,” he said and held a sheet of paper out to Shikamaru. “I just brought this for Mayu-san. It’s a contact that she can reach out to directly to ask about possible places that the monks could be hiding out in. I thought of her yesterday while I was looking through some files.”

“Um, I’m right here, you know,” Mayu said, and Shikamaru ignored her in favor of staring at the paper with a proper amount of suspicion.

Finally, Shikamaru swiped it out of his hand. “Fine. Now leave.”

“Alright. Mayu-san, I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow afternoon.”

Shikamaru took a deep breath instead of slamming Shisui’s head into the wall like he wanted to and held himself stiffly until the man exited the room. The door closing punctuated the silence, and Shikamaru slowly turned to look at Mayu.

She was standing next to her desk, one hand resting lightly on it and the other fiddling with the edge of her flak jacket. “I was going to tell you -”

“I’ll talk to Itachi,” he broke in.

“What?” Her brow furrowed. “About what?”

“About taking fucking Shisui off the fucking task force, what do you think?” he snapped, then ran a hand along the top of his head. “Goddammit, I can’t believe he did that. He knows you’re pregnant, and just because he wants to believe the best of that back-stabbing -”

“Shikamaru,” she crossed the room and put a hand on his chest, and he snapped his mouth shut. “Shikamaru, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, okay? I honestly meant to. But - but you can’t go to the leader of the village and make a fuss about how I need to be protected from the big, bad ex-convict. I’m about to become a Department Head -”

“Will you think about somebody other than yourself for one second?” he exploded, and she took a step back as her eyes went wide.

“Sh-Shikamaru -”

His hands were shaking - actually, his whole body was shaking, but his voice was flat when he spoke. “While I was out of town, you were hanging out with the man who tried to kill you.”

“It wasn’t like we were watching movies and braiding each other’s hair!” Her cheeks were turning red now, and he knew things were about to escalate, but couldn’t stop himself. The thought of Shisui just casually waltzing back into Mayu’s life as if he had the _right,_ and that it was Itachi who told him to, was making him contemplate a lot of treasonous things.

“Why didn’t you ask to be taken off the task force?”

“Uh, because it’s my _job?_ ”

He stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Was it your job to go to Shisui’s house?”

She looked away and shifted, even as a familiar stubborn expression fell over her face. “Uh, no, I went to Shisui’s house because I want to find the assholes who are trying to kill you! And it’s not like I went alone. I brought Junto, Momo and Anzu, alright?”

“You know, I can believe that you put yourself in danger because of your insatiable need to always be the one who solves everything, but I can’t believe that you’d be so cavalier with the safety of our _child._ ” He cut himself off and turned to face the wall, already knowing he’d gone too far.

After taking a moment to collect himself, he turned back around. Mayu was staring at him with wide, hurt eyes. His anger drained out of him as he realized he was taking it out on the wrong person and he ran a hand down his face. She already worried about her ability to be a good mother, him poking at her insecurities in a fit of temper was a bad idea.

“Fuck. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. You're going to be a good mother, you already are. 

"Its just...you were dead, okay? Not ‘maybe dead,’ not ‘there’s a chance we can save her,’ but _dead._ For three days. You can’t -” he cleared his throat when his voice cracked. “You can’t imagine what that was like. And it was all because of _him._ Then I got you back, and he tried to take you again.”

She was studying him, and he was fairly certain her face had softened minutely. He resisted the urge to blow out a breath of relief. He'd have to do something nice for her to make up for being an asshole. 

“I promise I was careful. I honestly don’t believe he’s going to try anything.”

“Who do you think he’ll go after first if he decides his goal is to destroy everything again? You’re one of the few people who can stay ahead of him in his games.”

“Exactly. I’m not a fifteen-year-old kid anymore, Shikamaru. While he was languishing away in a cell, I was getting stronger. And I don’t think he’s going to cause any more trouble, alright?”

Shikamaru shrugged. He didn’t believe that. Shikamaru had never hated anybody the way he hated Uchiha Shisui. Mayu was so caught up in her projects and her cases that she wasn’t interested in holding a grudge against him. So Shikamaru would just have to hold one for her.

Mayu’s lips were twitching, and he realized that she knew exactly what he was thinking. “Are you done with your dramatics, now?”

“No,” he grumbled, but let her reach out and reel him in for a kiss.

“You know how much I like it when you do your scary Nara face.”

He slumped. “It doesn’t sound very cool when you call it that.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s _very_ cool. So cool, in fact, that I think we should make out on my desk for awhile.”

He raised an eyebrow and put his hands on her hips. She was staring up at him, and her mouth was curled up at the corners in a challenging expression. Shikamaru loved her so much that it sometimes felt like his heart was connected directly to hers by invisible lines. He knew from painful experience that if hers stopped beating, he’d continue living, but it would be a colorless existence.

He let her pull him over until she was sitting on her desk and he was standing between her legs. They both knew he was only momentarily distracted, but making out like they were teenagers hiding from Fugaku in a closet trying to get in a quick grope before her shift started went a long way towards lifting his spirits.

When he stumbled out of her office ten minutes later, he ignored the knowing and judging gazes of the Uchiha congregated in the bullpen. He ran a tongue over his swollen lips and tried to look less like a man who was completely wrapped around his wife’s finger. Futile, he knew, but he could dream.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way towards the tower. He technically had the day off, but he had a few things he needed to discuss with Itachi.

000

“So,” Mayu said casually as she checked a box on the report she was reading over, “what did you do last night?”

Torii shot her a suspicious look. “Slept, mostly. Why?”

“Can’t I ask my friend what he’s up to in his spare time?”

He snorted and went back to writing no-doubt mean things on a report by some poor sod who hadn’t yet figured out how to fill one out to Torii’s exacting standards.

“Itachi-sama and his contingent came back last night,” she said and watched his face closely.

There it was - he was looking overly pleased with himself, a sure indication that a Nara had recently gotten laid. Mayu resisted the urge to move in for the kill. Torii was wily; her usual methods wouldn’t work with him. She’d narrowed down possible boinking suspects, anyway. 

Now she just needed a list of who all had gone with Itachi. She could probably get Naruto to tell her. Or she could seduce it out of Shikamaru, which sounded much more fun than tricking Naruto into revealing secret ANBU identities.

“Why are you looking at me like that,” Torii said in a flat tone, and she widened her eyes.

“Like what?”

“Like you want to crack me open and poke at my insides.”

Mayu gasped. “Torii, you say the meanest things!”

“Uh huh.” He went back to his work.

“So,” she said after a few minutes, and he sighed. “You should come over and have dinner with Shika and me this week.”

She paused, and he looked up at her. “You could, you know, bring somebody with you. Like, a date.”

“And there it is.”

“What? Like it’s weird for me to invite you over?”

“No, like it’s annoying that you can’t mind your own business.”

“You think I’m annoying?” Her shoulders slumped, and she stuck her lip out.

“Yeah, that won't work. Whatever mental disorder Shikamaru has that makes him susceptible to your pouting was not inherited by me.”

“Love isn’t a mental disorder.” She sulked for a while. “So then, that’s a no to dinner?”

He pointed at the door without looking up. “Out.”

“But -”

_“Out.”_

She made a distressed sound before grabbing her things and darting out of the room. She spun around to get the last word just outside the doorway. “You know, this isn’t how you should treat your friends -” the door slammed in her face, and her hair blew back with the force of it.

 _“Mean,”_ she muttered and ignored Akito’s judging eyes as she stomped over to her desk and sat down.

She stared at the pile of paperwork. Luto was looking through a stack of photos for a case they were currently working on involving somebody stealing minor summons scrolls that had been stored in archives. An eyewitness had reported a man with ‘weird ears; I don’t know, they were just weird,’ so now poor Luto was spending his day studying ears.

Hinata was cross-referencing any reports of odd animal sightings with the summons scrolls that had gone missing, and Akito was looking through the witness reports. Junto had gone to get something to eat.

Mayu tapped her fingers on the desk and narrowed her eyes. Right, it was time to find something interesting to do.

000

“Junto!” Mayu called as soon as he returned from lunch with his sister.

“Mayu-taicho,” he greeted.

“Hey, I need to go over some stuff with you - meet me in conference room three.”

He tilted his head and headed into the conference room. She waited until he was just inside the door before slamming it shut and putting a seal over it. She bounced over to the glass windows that looked in at that particular conference room and waved enthusiastically at Junto.

He had already given up on trying to get out and was now standing at the glass. The muscle was twitching at the corner of his mouth, a now-familiar sign that he was Feeling Something. Mayu ignored the rest of her team as they came to stand up behind her, and pointed at a set of metal tubes with a timer and keypad attached to them on the table.

“You need to break the code,” she said slowly enough so that he could read her lips since the room was soundproofed.

“Mayu-taicho, you can’t just lock a teammate in a room with a bomb."

“Ugh, Akito, it’s not a _real_ bomb, obviously,” she said as Junto took a few cautious steps towards the table and picked up the encrypted message she’d made.

“Mayu, don’t you think this is going a little far?” Hinata said, and she flapped a hand at her.

“Remember the case with the rugs? If I hadn’t been able to cipher under pressure, we’d have been buried under hundreds of pounds of carpeting.”

She watched as he took a pen from his pocket and started frantically writing on the paper. The timer read four minutes.

“I wonder what it looks like when an Aburame has a mental breakdown,” Luto said next to her thoughtfully as the writing became more intense.

“Oh, I hope he doesn’t bring his kikaichu out,” Mayu said. “I’m pretty sure it won’t kill them, but they’ll be a pain to clean...”

“What are you doing?” Mayu jumped when an arm went around her shoulders.

“Naruto!” She turned towards him and accepted an enthusiastic hug that had her feet leaving the ground.

“Hey, Mayu, Sakura-chan and I came to check on you and see if you wanted to have an early dinner,” he said with his usual bright smile. Sakura elbowed him out of the way to give her a less-enthusiastic hug.

“I’m just working with my protegé on his cryptology skills. It shouldn't take longer than -” she squinted at the timer through the glass "-two minutes and six seconds."

Naruto straightened from where he’d bent at the waist to greet the peanut and looked inside with interest.

“Mayu, is that -”

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” Akito said with a long-suffering sigh.

“Oh, Akito, lighten up. Look! He’s about to put in the code. And with only thirty seconds to spare. How exciting.” Mayu rocked up on the balls of her feet and craned her neck so she could watch as he typed in the code on the pad. Around her, everybody had gone tense.

It wasn’t just the IIU anymore, either. A few of the officers in the bullpen had wandered over to see what was happening.

“Oh crap,” Mayu said when she saw the second number he chose.

She cringed when the top of the tubes opened and everything in the room, including Junto, was covered in a mustard-yellow powder. There were cries of surprise and dismay and laughter from Naruto, and Mayu’s shoulders slumped.

“Well, it’s official. He’s terrible at deciphering code. Luto, you’re going to have to practice up, we’ll work on it together,” she said and ignored his horrified expression as she went to take the seal off the door.

“Mayu, what is that?” Sakura said, then hustled her back away from the door just before it opened. “You can’t just breathe in random substances!”

Junto stepped out of the room, all wounded dignity and mustard yellow stains. “I am afraid I must have made a mistake somewhere, Mayu-taicho. I apologize.”

“Oh, hey, it’s okay. Can’t be good at everything.”

Akito sighed as Junto’s shoulders slumped minutely, and Mayu cringed. “I mean, that was a hard one,” she lied. “You just need to practice.”

Junto looked a little better, though he shifted uncomfortably. “Is this itching powder?”

“No? It’s harmless, just colored powder.”

“Ah. So then, the itching is not normal?”

“Um,” Mayu said.

“Mayu, if you weren’t pregnant...” Sakura let her statement trail off, but Mayu had a reasonably good idea of what she was getting at, and backed up a few steps.

“On a scale of zero to ten, how bad is the itching?” Sakura asked Junto.

“...a seven.”

“Whoops,” Mayu said as Sakura started rummaging around in her medical pouches and grumbling about allergic reactions and idiotic teammates.

She stepped forward and was stopped by Luto's hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you stay over there, Mayu-taicho? Just in case you react, too?”

Mayu watched, shoulders slumped, as Sakura gave Junto a shot and then herded him out of the building to take a shower and get a checkup. “You owe me, Mayu!” she called, and Mayu just waved.

“Damn. I knew I should have done the chamber of water,” Mayu said, and blinked at the accusatory faces turned her way. “What? Like I was supposed to just know he was allergic to it?”

Naruto rolled his eyes and slung his arm around her shoulders. “Well, Sakura and I were going to take you to dinner, but I guess it’s just you and me now. Come on; I haven’t seen you in _ages -”_

“Wait! Who’s going to clean up this room?” Akito called.

“You heard Sakura! It could be bad for the baby if I breathe it in, Akito.” Mayu put her nose in the air. The last thing she saw before Naruto tugged her out of headquarters was Akito rubbing his forehead and Luto peaking into the now-yellow conference room and letting out a low whistle.

They had ramen because of course, they did. Naruto was telling a story about some retired shinobi that had challenged Sakura to an arm wrestling competition and Mayu was laughing when Sasuke appeared.

“Hey, loser. Hey, Mayu.”

She waved. “Hey, Sasuke. How’s the clan?”

He scowled, and she cackled. “I’m excited about the baby, Mayu,” Naruto said and then leaned down and said in a baby voice, “yes, your Uncle Naruto is so excited!” loudly enough that she and Sasuke both winced.

“You’re going to traumatize it before it’s even out of the womb,” Sasuke said with an eye roll before ordering when Ayame appeared in front of him.

Naruto ignored Sasuke, then sat back and sighed. “But I wish we could spar or something. I miss doing team things.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. “Well,” she said, drawing the word out and looking down at her noodles. She waited until she was sure she had both of their undivided attention before continuing. “I do have a project that I could use some backup on.”

000

 _“Idiot,_ you’re stepping on my foot -”

“-that’s not me! Ew, what is that smell?”

“What do you think? We’re hiding behind garbage cans.”

Mayu shushed her two assistants as she peeked around said garbage cans, which was more a pile of bags stacked up around already-full bins, doing her best to ignore the way the smell was making her stomach roil. She could feel Sasuke’s glare on the side of her head, but she ignored it in favor of pulling out a pair of binoculars and putting them to her face.

She turned the lenses until they focused, then scanned the building, pausing on the right window. A light was on, and the white curtains were pulled aside. All she needed was for the perp to cross in front of the windows, and then she’d have him.

“Um, Mayu-chan, you never did tell us who we were running surveillance on,” Naruto attempted to whisper at her, and she shushed him violently. He sounded nervous, which was weird. They’d done much scarier things, what was his problem?

“You two, keep an eye out for anybody entering the building. If you see them with Torii, let me know immediately.”

Naruto made a choked off sound that sounded like Torii’s name and flailed. His hand smacked her shoulder, and she lost her balance and stumbled against Sasuke. He grunted as she bounced off of him and into the garbage cans, resulting in a cacophony of aluminum hitting aluminum. A dog barked in the distance, and Sasuke sighed and reached out to help Mayu up with more care than he usually would.

They both turned a glare on Naruto, and he held up his hands and laughed nervously. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just...should you be spying on your clan member? I-is Torii in trouble?”

He looked legitimately worried, and Mayu tilted her head to the side. “You're acting weird. Since when do you care about Torii?”

His lips pressed together and he did the thing where he transformed from goofy, immature Naruto to his wiser, s-ranked, future-Hokage counterpart. It was always creepy.

“I’m trying to figure out who his new boyfriend is,” she hurried to say before he launched into a speech that was guaranteed to make her feel guilty.

Naruto blinked rapidly, but she was already turning back to the window. She frowned when she saw the living room light was now off. Dammit, if they’d missed him because of Naruto, she was going to poison him.

“W-why would you want to know something like that?”

“Are you seriously trying to ask Mayu why she’s nosy? You may as well ask her ridiculous clan members why they’re all lazy, or ask the sun why it rises,” Sasuke grumbled, then let out an undignified _oof_ when she elbowed him.

She grinned at his resulting glare, then turned the binoculars to scan the area, trying to catch sight of her grumpy lieutenant. “Uh, maybe because Torii makes terrible decisions when it comes to men? I mean, why would he keep him from me if he was dating some stand-up guy? Obviously, he’s a major jerk if he won’t even date Torii in public. I need to identify him so that I can teach him a lesson.” From Sasuke's disturbed expression, she did a poor job of hiding her delight at the thought.

The sound that came out of Naruto was a mixture of terror and affront, and Mayu lowered her binoculars to look over at his red face. “Why are you being so -”

“Mayu.” She squeaked and jumped, then attempted to spin around to face the threat.

Her feet tangled in the strap connected to the binoculars, which she hadn’t put around her neck, and the resulting flailing ended in all three of the would-be spies falling back into the garbage cans. The noise was deafening, though Sasuke and Naruto had both somehow cushioned her body with their own, so she was barely bruised at the end of it.

They all stared up at their attacker from their mess of limbs and spilled garbage. Torii sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I would ask why you’re spying on me, but I already heard your enlightening, if baffling, response to Naruto.”

Naruto did a full body flinch at the sound of his name, and Mayu cursed when he kicked her shin as he scrambled out of their stinky nest. “Torii! I swear, I had no idea she was going to take me to spy on you! She just said she needed help with surveillance, and Itachi-sama asked me to try and keep her from blowing up the village -”

“Hey!” Mayu said, and Sasuke sighed as he pulled a chunk of what looked like sauerkraut from his hair and dropped it on the ground with a look of disdain.

“Naruto. I’m well aware of Mayu’s talent for dragging other people into her idiocy.”

“Mean,” she said, though it was more habit than true affront. Her eyes were darting between Naruto and Torii.

Why was Naruto acting like a kicked puppy? Torii was looking at him with...was that _fondness?_ Naruto glanced up from where he'd been fiddling with a new stain on his shirt, then beamed when he caught sight of his expression.

“Sasuke,” she slowly, and reached out and gripped his arm. “Are you seeing this?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He extricated himself and her from the bags of garbage.

Mayu let him help her up, ignoring his Uchiha version of fussing as he dusted her off and grumped at her. She watched as Torii reached out and flicked an unidentified piece of rotting food from Naruto’s shoulder. His lips quirked up into a soft smile, and Naruto looked down, bashful.

All of the clues clicked together. The clumsy lover who couldn’t escape the house unnoticed when Aimi unexpectedly dropped by. Naruto had been a part of Itachi’s contingent, as well. He also hadn’t stopped by as often as Mayu assumed he would after finding out she was pregnant. At the time, she’d attributed it to Itachi’s slave-driving ways, but now...

“You’re the secret lover!” Mayu pointed at Naruto and he stiffened, expression going panicked.

“W-what? No, I’m not! That’s crazy! Why would someone as awesome as Torii want to be with me?”

Mayu gaped as Torii’s cheeks turned red. Torii was _blushing,_ that was...well, that was weird. The wind picked up, and the smell of garbage intensified.

“I’m going to be sick,” she announced, then bent over and threw up on Sasuke’s shoes.

Ten minutes later they were in Torii’s kitchen watching Sasuke rinse off his sandals in awkward silence. Torii wouldn’t let them sit on his furniture in their current state, though he did bring a wooden stool in for Mayu to perch on.

“I can’t believe it. Naruto and Torii. Huh.”

Naruto was shuffling his feet and looking like he was contemplating running for it, but Torii was leaning back against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, back to being annoyed.

Mayu pointed at Naruto. “But. But sunshine!” She turned and jabbed her finger at Torii. “And paperwork!”

Torii took a deep breath. “Did you just describe me as paperwork?”

“And why are you keeping it a secret, huh?” Mayu ignored his question and straightened as the thought came to her. “Torii may be super boring, Naruto, but he’s also brave and smart and good at healing. And he’s a Nara, so he’s probably really good in bed.”

Sasuke’s head fell forward, and his shoulders slumped. “If you say one word about Shikamaru -”

“Well, it’s not _my_ fault he’s practically a sex god -”

“I’m not keeping him a secret. I would never do that, Torii’s amazing!” Naruto protested, cutting off the familiar argument, and Mayu brought her attention back to him. 

“Well, then why haven’t I heard anything about it?” Mayu challenged. “Your love life is always a hot topic in the village.”

“Exactly,” Torii interjected, and she glanced over at him. He was watching Naruto with a soft expression that she was fairly certain he’d never used on her. Wait, did that mean he liked Naruto more? “I asked Naruto if we could explore our new relationship before going public.”

“So...you’re the asshole?” she asked. “That’s kind of unexpected.”

Torii’s brow ticked in annoyance. “Mayu. We aren’t keeping a low profile because we’re ashamed, we’re keeping a low profile because people are annoying and we didn’t want them to fuck it up while we were still figuring things out.”

Mayu leaned back and thought about that. Memories of the Nara clan elders' reaction to her engagement tightened her stomach, and she looked away. “Huh. That makes sense, I guess.”

“I’m so glad we have your approval,” Torii grumbled.

Mayu tilted her head to the side and studied his tense posture. Was Torii nervous, of all things? Why would he...oh. Naruto’s family was his team. Their reactions to his relationship were probably important to Torii. Plus, she was part of the Nara head family, which made the pressure of his need for her approval doubly intense.

“You know, you two will probably make a pretty cute couple.” She widened her eyes at Sasuke when he turned to shoot her an incredulous look. His eyes narrowed, and she jerked her head towards Naruto, who was staring at Torii like he was a bowl of ramen. Sasuke slumped and scowled, but turned off the water and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, you seem well-suited,” he grumbled, but his lip twitched when Naruto beamed at him.

Torii had relaxed, and she reached over and patted his arm, then gagged when she caught a whiff of whatever was staining her sleeve. “Well, my work here is done,” she said and hopped off the stool. “I’m going to go home and take a shower.”

“Mayu.” She turned to look at Torii. “We haven’t told anybody -”

She flapped her hand. “I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry.” Shikamaru didn’t count.

Sasuke walked her back, though she was pretty sure he was giving her the silent treatment. It was hard to tell with him. “Man, I kinda thought it’d take longer to figure out who Torii’s secret lover is. Now what am I gonna do with my time?”

Sasuke gave her a wary look but didn’t comment. She waved goodbye at the compound gates and ignored the way the guards’ noses wrinkled as she passed them. Hopefully, she could take a shower before Shikamaru got home.

When she arrived, however, Shikamaru was already there. Sitting at the kitchen table with him were Itachi and Hana. Mayu brightened. “Hana! You’re pregnant too!”

Itachi stiffened, and Hana grinned. “I told you she’d know.”

“Yep, I’m a genius.” It was nice that people were used to her just knowing things - they didn’t ask her any pesky questions like “Who told you?”

She moved further into the kitchen, pausing long enough to put her nose in the air and look away from him when she passed Itachi, who was an evil husband-stealer.

“Hello, Mayu-san,” he said, and she just sniffed disdainfully and grumbled a greeting, then leaned down to kiss Shikamaru, who accepted it even as he wrinkled her nose at her smell. In the corner, an ANBU twitched, probably annoyed at her show of disrespect.

Mayu sat down next to Hana. “Do you throw up whenever something smells weird, too?”

Hana was leaning away from her, looking a little green, and Shikamaru sighed. “Mayu, sweetheart, why do you smell like garbage?”

“Torii pushed me over.”

Silence met that proclamation, and Mayu stood when Hana swallowed thickly. Mayu recognized her ‘about to throw up’ expression because she, herself, wore it so often these days.

“I’ll go shower and then we can talk about how much procreation sucks once you’re past the fun sex part. Well, it’s fun for Shika and me, anyway, but neither of us is evil and dull.”

She gave Itachi a meaningful look before flouncing out. His eyebrow twitched, and she resisted the urge to cheer. It was the little things, really.

By the time she returned somebody had shown up with take-out. Mayu was suddenly starving, and she ignored Itachi’s steady gaze in favor of plopping into Shikamaru’s lap and shoving a bite of his sauteed vegetables into her mouth. He put a hand on her hip and tugged her still-wet hair out of her face for her, preventing it from befalling the same fate as his food.

Hana would usually laugh, but she was too busy doing the same thing two seats away. Their husbands wisely kept out of the way. After her stomach felt less like it was going to eat itself, she slowed down.

“I puked on Sasuke’s shoes today.” She sounded as proud as she was feeling, and Shikamaru’s thumb paused where it’d been caressing the skin above the waistband of her pants, and then he vibrated with laughter.

“Oh yeah? What’d he think of that?”

“He made his constipated face but didn’t try to set me on fire. Sometimes being pregnant is awesome.”

Hana held up a hand to the side without looking up from where she was scooping rice into her mouth, and Mayu leaned over and high-fived her. She glanced over at Itachi, whose lips were twitching. She was reasonably certain she could feel the disbelief coming at her in waves from the ANBU by the back door.

“Hey,” she said as something occurred to her. “Where’s Kiba? Usually, you’d bring him along.”

Shikamaru’s hand appeared in front of her to pick up the chopsticks, moving slowly as though unsure of its welcome. She eyed it, but in the end didn’t complain when he picked up a piece of broccoli and brought it to his mouth.

Hana’s grin was sly, and Mayu perked up. “Kiba’s on a date.”

Mayu flailed. “What? Really? With who?” He didn't date much these days since it always seemed to end badly for him.

She studied Hana’s smug expression before her eyes widened. _“No. Way._ Rika-sempai? But she only broke up with that rice guy like a week ago! They dated for a year. Oh god, if Kiba’s her rebound, he’ll be a disaster.”

Itachi was looking perplexed, though whether it was over the significance of Kiba getting a date with Rika or what a rice guy was, Mayu wasn’t sure and didn’t care. Itachi was still persona non grata in her world.

Mayu spent the rest of the night vacillating between loudly theorizing on all the trouble their children would get up to together just to watch Itachi look blank-twitchy, and complaining with Hana about what a pain being pregnant was. They had moved into the living room at some point, and Mayu was leaning against Shikamaru and yawning when Itachi spoke.

“Mayu.”

She scowled. “Yes, Hokage-sama?”

Hana grinned from her spot next to him, and Shikamaru sighed. “I have some projects I need you to assist my ANBU with.”

Mayu straightened. Last time he’d asked her to assist his ANBU with an issue it had ended with Rat trying to gut her and Itachi declaring ANBU-run cases off-limits to her. They were so touchy.

“Really? Those cases are always the most fun.” They were almost always international in jurisdiction, which didn’t generally fall on the MPF unless its members were pulled into a task force. Shikamaru remained relaxed at her side, so she assumed he already knew about the projects.

“You will, of course, not be working in the field, but you can assist from home base.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed at him. “I’m not giving up the Exploding Monks Task Force.”

“I would not ask it of you.”

Mayu went back to beaming and rubbing her hands together. “When do I start? Do I start now?” Her huge yawn somewhat dampened her enthusiasm.

Across from her, Itachi was doing the thing with his face that meant he was smiling on the inside. Dammit, he’d fooled her into forgiving him again. “I will have Jackal drop off the files to your house tomorrow. Please don’t push yourself - it is an investigation that has been ongoing for six months. If I believe that you are giving up healthy habits in favor of solving it, I will not hesitate to tell my father.”

Mayu slumped over. “Dull.”

“Indeed,” Itachi said, and Hana laughed from where she was leaning against him, half asleep.

Itachi glanced over at her, and his face softened. “Shikamaru, Mayu, thank you for hosting us. I’m afraid I must get Hana home.”

“Sure. Bye, Itachi-sama, bye Hana.”

“Let’s do lunch this week,” Hana said as her three huge ninken lumbered to their feet from where they'd been wrapped around each other in the corner.

“Sure, I’ll meet you at the tower at noon on Wednesday if that works. Try to bring Rat as your guard!” she called after them as they left, and grinned when Itachi’s shoulders sagged just as he left the room.

“An ANBU case,” Mayu breathed out as she slumped against Shikamaru, who tugged her more firmly against him with an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe being pregnant isn’t so bad after all.”

She wasn’t stupid; she knew Itachi had given it to her in part to keep her distracted so that she couldn’t cause trouble while banned from fun and partly as an apology.

“He’s pretty stressed out, I think,” Shikamaru said, and she turned and looked up at him. His brow was furrowed, and he was staring at the far wall.

“How’d your talk with him go?” She couldn’t stop her smile when his expression went shifty. “He’s pretty good at getting what he wants, huh? Good for the village, bad for all of us peons.”

Mayu had to hand it to Itachi; he was a master manipulator if he got even Shikamaru to back off.

“Just promise me you won’t go off and hang out with Shisui alone again. If you really need to see him without Fugaku-sama and Ensui-oji, bring me with you.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed. He looked so miserable that she sighed and slumped. “Fine. But only while I’m pregnant. The rest of the time, you have to let me do my job how I see fit, Shikamaru.”

He glanced down at the finger she'd pointed in his face, lips curving up, then leaned forward and nipped at it. “Yes, ma’am.”

She tried to resist his adorableness but gave in after only a few seconds. They didn’t make it up to the bedroom for good long while after that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marriage is hard. Also, people realize the only thing worse than a snarking Mayu is a quiet one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is where the Light Angst tag comes in to play.

“He’s coming,” Mayu said stubbornly and ignored Sakura’s sympathetic look. Sure, Shikamaru missed the last two appointments, but he’d assured her just that morning that he was going to be there.

Things had been hectic for him the last few months and Mayu had been spending a lot of time on her own. The ticking of the clock filled the room and finally, Sakura sighed. “I’m sorry, Mayu, but if I wait any longer I’ll miss my next appointment.”

Mayu pressed her lips together and ignored the urge to cry. “Well, I guess something must have come up. Alright, then, let’s do this.”

Sakura patted her hand before pushing her gown up to expose her baby bump. At a little over sixteen weeks along, it wasn’t huge, but it was there.

“Do you want me to tell you the gender this time?” Sakura glomped the gel onto Mayu’s stomach, and she made a face at how cold it was.

Mayu just shook her head and blinked rapidly. Even if he was a _total jerk,_ she didn’t want to do the unveiling without Shikamaru. She left half an hour later with two pictures of her peanut - who was now the size of an avocado and had things like limbs and an actual humanoid shape - and headed for the tower.

She took the steps two at a time and slammed the door open to Shikamaru’s office. She glanced at his desk. Empty.

“Nara-sama, your husband is stuck in a meeting with -” his assistant, whose desk was shoved into a corner, cut off with a terrified _meep_ when she slammed one of the pictures down on Shikamaru’s desk, right where he was sure to see it.

She then grabbed a pad of sticky notes and a marker and scribbled out a note with jerky motions before ripping it off of the pad and sticking it to the picture.

The words _Here’s a picture of your kid in case you care_ stared back at her. She sniffled, then stomped back out without another word. Ten minutes later she was trying her best not to cry into a pie as she ate it at an alarming rate.

“Wow, a whole pie, huh? That bad?” Mayu looked up at Hana, whose stomach had gone from a bit of a lump to a very large presence the past few months. She was giving her a sympathetic look, and Mayu just shrugged and motioned for her to sit. She wasn’t able to talk through the amount of pastry currently in her mouth.

“I saw you leave the administration building. You looked upset - I hope you don’t mind that I came to join you?”

Mayu shoveled more filling into her mouth and shook her head. The waitress came over, clearly relieved that somebody sane had shown up to calm the crazy, pie-eating woman down. Mayu’s eyes filled with fresh tears as Hana ordered tea and a respectable one slice of cobbler. Usually, Shikamaru was the designated sane person at their table, but he hadn’t taken her out to eat in weeks.

She tried to sob and swallow at the same time and ended up coughing pie out of her airway for the next two minutes. By the time she could breathe properly again Hana had her pie and the waitress had given her more water.

“It sucks, huh? Feeling like you’re doing it on your own. I mean, I have my family, but still...” Mayu blinked at Hana, who was staring down at her tea and lowered her spoon from where she’d been about to load it with more of her homicidal Mayu-choking pie.

“Yeah. It sucks.” They spent some time staring down sadly and eating more pie.

Mayu slammed her spoon down on her pie plate, ignoring the way crumbs went flying and the people around them jumped at the sound. “No way are we going to sit around being miserable because our husbands are lame. We shouldn’t be _crying,_ we should be getting revenge. Yes.”

Mayu’s eyes narrowed and Hana looked at her, then down at her stomach. “Uh, Mayu, I don’t think I’m up for painting the Hokage Monument.”

“Well, obviously we can’t do anything physically demanding.” Mayu ignored the way Hana mouthed “ _we?”_ to herself and tapped her fingers on the table. After a few seconds, she brightened. “I have an idea. Come on.”

She shoved the last few bites of pie in her mouth and threw down money before grabbing Hana’s hand and pulling her out of the teahouse. Shikamaru would rue the day he forgot about their appointment.

An hour later they stood in front of a group of Academy students who were armed with paint cans, brooms, rope, silly string, and various other items they’d run off to put together.

“Team Itachi, are you armed and ready?” Hana called and half of the tiny ninjas-in-training cheered.

“Team Shikamaru, are you ready?” Mayu asked once they calmed down, and the other half yelled and banged their buckets together. “Alright. Remember, your lesson today is sabotage. Sometimes you come across a force stronger than your own and you must use your wits and sneakiness to gain the upper hand. Laying traps and causing problems that slow down enemy troops is a time-tested strategy.

“The team who makes their target the most miserable - er, weakened - wins these coupons to Ichiraku Ramen!” Mayu held them up in the air and ignored the way Iruka was standing with his head in his hands behind the class they’d commandeered while his assistant just looked confused.

Another cheer, and huh, they were actually pretty adorable. She wondered if her kid would be as cute. What was she saying, her baby would be the _cutest._ Shikamaru may be a jerk, but he had good genes.

“Then ready, set, and go!” There was only a cloud of dust left in their wake a few seconds later. Mayu was impressed at how quickly they’d scattered. Poor Iruka was already trying to catch up to one half as he yelled at his assistant to find the other.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” Hana said, looking dazed, and Mayu patted her shoulder.

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Well, I have to head back to work. Here, give these to the winning team.” Mayu shoved the pile of coupons that she’d ended up collecting throughout the years due to her ramen-loving teammate into Hana’s hands.

She then turned and waved at a copse of trees behind them. “Bye, Rat-san!”

“Do you have to egg them on?” Hana asked, exasperated, and Mayu shrugged.

“I’m bored, they’re easy to annoy. Bye, Hana, thanks for helping me sabotage our husbands.”

“You’re welcome?”

000

“Mayu-taicho, why are you sketching out torture chambers in the margins of the reports?” Luto asked from over her shoulder a few hours later.

“They’re water chambers, not torture chambers. And for training purposes.”

Luto went pale and backed away and one of the officers walking by their group of desks made a small noise of distress. “What? It’s not like I’d actually let anyone drown.”

Between exacting her revenge and cooing over her avocado-sized peanut with Hinata and Fugaku (well, Fugaku had grunted, but it was his version of a coo, really), her mood was somewhat improved. She was supposed to go to her parents’ after work, but once again she wouldn’t be able to tell them what the gender was. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with a carpenter? Or a rice guy? Rika’s ex-boyfriend had spent a lot of time with her, taking her places and buying her flowers and, well, boring her senseless, which is why they broke up, but still.

Mood once again plummeting, she grabbed a red marker and drew a big ‘X’ over the page. The whole report had been crap, anyway. Dai’s standards were falling. She ignored the fact that he’d only had to replace somebody on his team with a newbie because she’d stolen Junto. She hummed to herself as she folded it into an aerodynamically perfect paper plane and sent it across the bullpen at Dai. It landed on his desk, right on top of the file he’d been reading.

“Whatever Shikamaru did, tell him to hurry up and make it up to you!” he called across the bullpen and shook the marked up report at her.

“Blame Torii! He’s the one with impossible standards!” she yelled back and ignored the sigh coming from Torii’s office. Being the assistant sucked.

She spent some time pretending to work and feeling sorry for herself. At one point she looked up and did a double take when she saw Shisui standing by the door to conference room three and motioning towards her. She wasn’t the only one who saw him, of course, but most of the officers were used to her working with him by then and only sent him cold stares.

Mayu brightened at the distraction and stood. They’d been at a standstill for weeks on their case, since outside of a few random sightings and the assassination of two Kiri diplomats that seemed more spur of the moment than planned no new information had been flowing in.

She hurried across the bullpen and followed him into the room, feeling only a small twinge of apprehension. Everyone could see them through the glass after all. She was also starting to relax around him, but she did her best to pretend it wasn’t happening since she wasn’t quite sure what to think of her slowly-rebuilding trust yet.

“Mayu. One of my contacts came through,” he crowed, not even giving her a chance to speak after she shut the door before shoving a piece of paper at her.

His tattoos were stark against the pale skin of his face and she wondered idly when the last time was that he had a full night’s rest. Most of her brain, however, was focused on what he had said.

“Do you mean...” she scanned the paper and her eyes widened. She looked up at him. “You found the base!”

He grinned, and years fell off his face. “I found the base!”

She cheered, relief and triumph moving through her, and before she could think better of it darted forward and hugged him. He tensed and she froze, wondering what in the hell she’d been thinking. Then his arms came up around her, tentative.

 _What the hell?_ she thought with a mental shrug. He probably needed a hug.

Still, she was relieved when the door opened and Fugaku’s voice broke through their awkward moment. “Shisui.”

One word was all it took to have him backing up rapidly. Mayu took one look at Fugaku’s thunderous expression and shoved the information Shisui brought at him. “Look! We found the Exploding Monks’ base.”

Fugaku looked down and his brow furrowed, and Shisui edged closer to her. “You’re getting a bump,” he said, and she put a hand over her stomach.

“It’s an avocado now, but I still call it peanut,” she announced, and when he smiled at her it felt like the past five years hadn’t happened, and he was still just her goofy sempai. Her smile faded when she realized how easy it was to fall into old habits. She looked away and he cleared his throat.

“How did you get this information?” Fugaku asked.

“My contacts.” She smiled at him and when his brows lowered in disapproval at her obvious fib she rubbed her baby bump while attempting to look innocent. So far that move had gotten her out of trouble no less than fifteen times.

His lips twisted but he didn’t say anything. Yep, sometimes being pregnant was awesome. Very rarely, but still. Shisui huffed out a laugh next to her, but she ignored him in favor of watching Fugaku’s expression go grim as he read through the information.

“Well. This complicates things.”

“Because it’s on the other side of the western boundary?” West of the Elemental Nations was inhabited by loosely affiliated tribes of people who used chakra mostly to enhance their taijutsu. They were sneaky and hard to take out on their own turf, and did not like outsiders. At all.

“Yes. We’ll have to proceed with caution. We can’t just cross the borders and attack people who they most likely consider citizens. It could incite war.”

“Ugh, politics.” Mayu wrinkled her nose and Shisui patted her head. She glared at him but didn’t cringe away. The past few months of working with him had dissipated most of her fear, for better or for worse.

Maybe it was because he showed more of himself than he ever had before he outed himself as a traitor. Sure, the goofy, laid-back Uchiha part of him was still there, but he didn’t try to hide his discomfort at the wariness others showed him. His pain and loneliness were also easy to see. Mayu was fairly certain it wasn’t an act. Shisui had either given up on or grown tired of his masks.

“Are you sure we can trust this contact?” Fugaku asked. Mayu hesitated for only a moment before nodding. Shisui wouldn’t have come to her with it if he didn’t think it was real. He’d always been thorough in his investigations.

“Alright. I’ll keep you updated.” Fugaku swept out of the room and Mayu rubbed at her eyes.

“Well, that’s disappointing. I was kind of hoping we could just point Sasuke and Naruto at the problem and let them bash it until it went away.” Mayu stuck out her lower lip. She would have liked to be part of the bashing, of course, but she had another five months of at least attempting to steer clear of danger.

Shisui shrugged. “Between Itachi, Naruto, and Shikamaru I’m sure they’ll figure out a diplomatic way to get to the bashing.”

Mayu nodded but she wasn’t really paying attention. She’d need to get a map of the Western Territories, try and figure out how somebody could get past the borders and to the Temple that the Exploding Monks were living in. If they hadn’t figured out a way to deal with it diplomatically by the time she was done being pregnant, she’d go and take care of it herself.

“What are you thinking?” Shisui sounded appropriately suspicious, and she beamed over at him.

“Just wondering what to get for lunch,” she said with false innocence before bouncing out of the room.

“I can tell when you’re lying!” he called after her and she just flapped a hand at him over her shoulder. When she sat down at her desk, Hinata was staring at her with wide eyes.

Mayu blinked at her. “What?”

Hinata glanced over at the conference room and then down at the papers scattered across her desk. Mayu looked over at where Shisui was standing in the doorway, staring at them with a lost expression. Oh, that.

“I think...he really seems to have turned over a new leaf,” Mayu said softly, then reached over and patted Hinata’s hand.

She gave Mayu a tentative smile, then went back to staring at Shisui. Mayu shook her head but didn’t say anything else. She had a feeling that only time would fix the angst-fest that was Shisui and Hinata’s relationship.

Four hours later an ominous feeling preceded a shadow falling over her desk. Mayu resisted the urge to squeak as the officers who were in the bullpen around her went silent. Her nose wrinkled when a strange smell - a mix of dirt and paint and...glue? reached her.

Slowly, she raised her head. A giggle escaped her before she could stop it and Shikamaru’s eyebrow twitched. His usually-perfect hair was a mess of sticky-looking strings and matted dirt. One of his sleeves was ripped, and the right side of his body was splattered with blue paint.

She blinked up at him and widened her eyes. “Hard day at the office, honey?”

He growled. “Mayu. You wanna tell me why Itachi and I spent the day fighting off pre-adolescents?”

“No idea.” Mayu stood and started putting her things away, ignoring his glare and the snickers around her.

“Bye, team.” Luto sent a sympathetic look Shikamaru’s way, then cringed when Mayu narrowed her eyes at him and mouthed _water chamber._ She brought a stack of paperwork into Torii’s office and plopped it on his desk.

“That’s much smaller than the stack I gave you to look over,” he said suspiciously, then twitched after his attention went to the door. Mayu assumed he’d spotted Shikamaru’s new look.

“I had to send some back for a second try.” She paused. “In a few cases, a third try.”

Torii seemed proud of her newfound love for perfect reports, of all things. Mayu rolled her eyes and waved goodbye. He waved back, attention still on Shikamaru. She brushed past him and headed for the exit. It was a nice day if a little cool, but the fresh air smell was ruined when Shikamaru caught up to her.

His hands were in his pockets, and even covered in various forms of her revenge he managed to look good. Usually, she’d spend some time admiring him and feeling smug, but today it just pissed her off.

“What are you doing?” she snapped and resisted the urge to push him into a fountain they were passing when he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Walking you home, what do you think?”

She straightened her back at his tone. Like he had any right to be angry with _her._ “No, you’re not. I don’t want to walk with you.”

He breathed in deeply through his nose, a sign that he was losing patience. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry I missed the appointment, okay? Something -”

“Came up. Yes, I figured. And I don’t forgive you, and I’m not walking with you. Also, we aren’t going home, we’re going to mom and dad’s, remember? To tell them the gender of the baby. Which we don’t know because you don’t care enough to show up to the appointments.”

“I need to stop by the house and shower,” he said after a pause, apparently deciding to ignore the rest of her statement.

“Then go shower. I’m going to mom and dad’s.”

She put her nose in the air and reveled in his low sound of annoyance. “Mayu, I’m not letting you walk alone.”

“Oh,  _now_ you care about me being alone, huh? Just, don’t answer that.” She pulled ahead of him so that there was five feet of space between them, ignoring his grumpy muttering.

By the time they stomped into the kitchen where Yoshino was cooking Mayu was so angry she was almost dizzy with it, Shikamaru was still covered in gunk, and they weren’t speaking. Shikaku, Ensui, and Kakashi were sitting around the table drinking sake and sorting through vegetables pulled from the garden and all of them went quiet when they caught sight of them.

Mayu pulled out the ultrasound and plopped it down in front of Shikaku just as Yoshino turned around and started exclaiming over Shikamaru’s appearance. “Sakura didn’t tell us if it’s a girl or a boy because Shikamaru _never showed up.”_

“I was busy trying to coordinate relief efforts for a flash flood in Kiri, where people _died -”_

“Oh, like you’re the only person in the world capable of that? All hail Shikamaru, without his intellect the Elemental Nations would surely implode.”

“Oh boy,” Ensui said.

Where Kakashi had been sitting there was now the large potted plant from the front porch and Shikaku and Yoshino were alternating between staring at the picture with delight and eyeing Shikamaru and Mayu with worry.

“Fuck it. I’m going upstairs to shower since _somebody_ thought it’d be hilarious to encourage Academy students to participate in stalking and vandalism.”

“It was a lesson in sabotage!” Mayu yelled after him, then slumped down in her chair and fumed.

“So,” Ensui said after a long moment of silence. “Trouble in paradise?”

His only answer was a sob as Mayu pushed away from the table and ran out the back door. Shikaku and Yoshino both winced when it slammed shut.

Ensui looked at the ceiling and sighed. “I dealt with most of Shikamaru’s teenaged angst. It’s somebody else’s turn.”

Yoshino shook herself out of her shocked daze, then crossed the room to turn off the stove. “I’ll go check on Mayu.”

“I’ll talk to Shikamaru,” Shikaku said.

He grabbed two beers out of the fridge and ambled up the stairs while Ensui took over in the kitchen. He sat on Shikamaru’s bed and popped his drink open, setting the other on the nightstand. A few minutes later a much cleaner but still-angry Shikamaru entered the room. He was wearing an old pair of sweats and t-shirt he must have found in his childhood drawers.

“Dad,” he greeted suspiciously.

In response, he held out a beer. Shikamaru took it and Shikaku turned to the window and opened it before hopping out onto the roof of the porch. After a moment Shikamaru joined him. They both sat, staring out into the trees and sipping their drinks. Shikaku didn’t start the conversation - he knew that if he waited, eventually Shikamaru would talk.

“It’s not like I don’t want to be there.” Shikaku glanced over to where Shikamaru was staring miserably at the bottle in his hands, peeling away the label. “But how can I leave when there are lives in danger? I thought...I need her to support me, not make me feel like shit.”

“It’s a difficult balance to find. I still have trouble with it, even after all these years,” Shikaku admitted. “I had it easier, I think. Your mother and I had clearly delineated roles from the beginning. She took care of the house and you and Mayu, and I concentrated on protecting the village. It was always accepted that I wouldn’t be around very much.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Yeah, but still, didn’t mom ever get upset?”

Shikaku huffed out a laugh. “Of course she did.”

Shikamaru grinned and tilted his head in acknowledgment of what a stupid question that had been, then took another drink.

“I missed most of her pregnancy with you because I was on the front lines,” Shikaku admitted. “The war was over, but there were still skirmishes and treaties and...well, things to take care of. War is messy business.”

Shikaku glanced over at Shikamaru, who was staring at him with an expression he hadn’t seen on him since he was much younger. The one that said _I’m out of my depth, fix it for me._ He reached over and gripped his shoulder.

“I wanted to be there. I still hate that I wasn’t. Your mother...she understood because it was war. Still, it took her a long time to stop feeling angry about it. Sometimes, you just have to get through to the other side. Mayu will forgive you, Shikamaru. Just make sure to show her you love her and the baby, even if you can’t be there for her the way you’d like to be.”

Shikamaru looked away, and Shikaku pretended he didn’t see him wipe at his eyes with the back of one arm. “I feel like a failure.”

Shikaku wrapped his arm around him and tugged him against him. “You’re not. This shit’s hard for everyone, Shikamaru.”

They sat like that for a long time until finally, he sighed and took out the picture he’d swiped from the table. “I’m kind of hoping for a girl. They’re more fun to spoil.”

Shikamaru huffed and reached forward to trace the lines of the baby with a finger. “I don’t really care, either one will be fine. But...yeah, I guess a girl would be nice.”

“You two will do fine,” Shikaku said. “Now let’s go back downstairs, I’m starving.”

000

Mayu stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She hadn’t gone back to her parents’ house after Yoshino left. She’d felt a bit better after Yoshino sat with her and told her ridiculous stories about Shikamaru-as-baby, but there was still a haze of depression hanging around her.

It sucked, realizing that she wasn’t the most important thing to Shikamaru. Mayu wasn’t sure whether to be more upset with the village for taking him, Shikamaru for letting it, or herself for being selfish and pathetic. She rolled onto her side and stared at the empty spot next to her.

She’d heard Shikamaru come home. He’d even come to the bedroom door and stood outside of it for a few minutes. Then he’d gone back downstairs, probably to sleep on the couch. Mayu sniffled. She’d expected him to say he was sorry, to come in and tug her against him and whisper reassurances.

Maybe the sticky stuff in his hair still hadn’t come out. Maybe he was just tired of dealing with her. She curled into a ball and put her hand on her stomach. Mayu had never minded before when he got busy. She had plenty of things to keep her distracted. But now things were different.

She couldn’t distract herself as easily anymore with cases or projects. She also didn’t want to go through this pregnancy alone. Mayu sat up and wrinkled her brow as a thought came to her. It wasn’t, she realized, something she had control over. Throwing herself against a brick wall and hoping it would fall wasn’t going to change anything.

“Okay,” she said out loud. “No more crying over it.”

Three days later she’d mostly kept her promise to herself. Pregnancy hormones made it impossible to  _never_ cry, especially when she was laying in bed next to her husband while feeling like there was a whole ocean between them. Still, she’d stopped sniping or pointedly asking him when he’d be home next.

Actually, she’d stopped talking to him altogether. He’d made a few attempts to speak, but when he only got one-word answers or shrugs, Shikamaru had taken to brooding when they were together. At least he was sleeping next to her again, even if they didn’t so much as touch.

Right now her hormones were pushing her into a completely different direction than tears. She turned over on her back and pressed her thighs together to try and relieve the ache between her legs. She’d read about this particular side-effect of pregnancy, of course, but had mostly just assumed it would be the fun part. She hadn’t thought that she and Shikamaru would be giving each other the silent treatment.

Mayu turned onto her side and pressed the heel of her hand against herself. It felt good, but it wasn’t what she really wanted. Why did Shikamaru have to smell so nice, anyway? And be so freaking handsome. She stared at his face, illuminated by the moonlight, earring glinting beneath the fall of his loose hair as he breathed steadily. Her stomach clenched, and she rolled over on her back again.

Dammit. More wiggling did nothing to give her relief. Maybe she should find the box of toys that was shoved beneath the bed and take them to the guest room. The thought was a depressing one - they’d always used them together. She mostly didn’t bother with orgasms when he was gone, instead choosing to sequester herself in her lab or the wood shop or the MPF for distraction.

Being pregnant was the worst. She fluffed her pillow and pushed a piece of sweaty hair from her eyes. Then she decided her whole body was too warm and kicked off the covers.

“Are you alright?” Mayu jumped and turned to face Shikamaru, whose eyes were now open. He was staring at her in concern. “You look flushed.”

“Oh. It’s um. It’s nothing. Hormones.”

He pushed himself up on one elbow, and she followed the line of the blanket as it fell away from his bare chest. She swallowed thickly and looked away. Her eyes filled with frustrated tears and he made a sound of distress.

A moment later his hand was cupping her cheek and she pressed against it before she could stop herself. His hand was cool and she immediately felt settled at his touch. Yep, she was pathetic. “Baby, what is it?”

The days of silence fell away when she opened her eyes and met his gaze. How could she have ever thought she could do this without him? “I just...I need...”

She stopped, because what if he rejected her? She hadn’t exactly been a ball of sweetness and sunshine the past few days. The thought made her lip wobble and he frowned as he studied her expression. “Should I go get mom?”

Mayu couldn’t help the wet giggle that escaped her. “No. That would just be awkward.”

He raised an eyebrow and she sighed. “It’s just...I’m horny,” she said with a shrug and looked away so she wouldn’t have to see his expression. “The books said it’d be a little more intense than usual, is all. Like I said, hormones. I can - I’ll go take a shower.”

Shikamaru made a low noise of dissent when she went to sit up. She hesitated and looked over at him. “I can - I mean. We could. If you wanted to.”

Mayu bit her lip. “I don’t want you to force yourself.”

His laugh was low and rich and sent a spike of heat through her. “Sweetheart, I never have to force myself to want you.”

She thought about pointing out how little interest he’d shown her the past few days, but lashing out - again - sounded exhausting. He must have seen the doubt, though, because he put his forehead against hers. “I love you. You have to know that.”

Mayu put a hand on his back, tentatively, wondering if he’d pull away. “I love you too.”

Shikamaru kissed her, and it was enough for her to drop her doubts for a moment. She moaned and tugged him closer, the heat that had been keeping her awake coming back full force. He pushed her back and settled between her legs and something in her relaxed as he moved his lips to the skin behind her ear.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered and she shuddered and arched against him, the last of her remembered hurt and anger fading away.

He was gentle with her, his touches almost worshipful as he trailed his fingers and lips across her skin. When he finally entered her, she let out a small sigh and wrapped her arms around him, meeting his soft gaze. It was impossible for her to stay upset when he looked at her that way. Maybe being second best wasn’t such a bad thing, anyway.

Afterward, he pulled her against him, that awful distance that had been between them gone. “I am sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

“Me too,” she said. “I shouldn’t put so much pressure on you. The needs of the whole village are more important than...well. Anyway, I’m sorry.”

He stiffened. “Mayu, that’s not -”

“I’m tired,” she whispered, not wanting to talk about it anymore since it was ruining their after-sex glow.

“Alright. Alright, sweetheart. We’ll talk about it later.”

When she woke up the next morning he was already gone. She ignored the twist of her heart at the empty bed and got ready for work. Ensui was lounging on the porch when she stepped outside.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“You look like shit.”

“Yeah, well, you try growing another person and see how hot you look,” she muttered.

“What does being pregnant have to do with brushing your hair?”

Mayu blinked up at him, then moved a hand to her head. She sighed. She really had forgotten to brush it. Without another word she turned and trudged back inside and up the stairs to her bathroom, ignoring the fact that Ensui followed her. She brushed her hair and pulled it back with her clips, then took a second to add eyeliner. Better.

“You walking me to work?”

“Don’t sound so excited.”

“I am excited. You can buy me food.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her against him. “You and Shikamaru still fighting?”

“No,” she said after a moment. “We made up last night.”

He eyed her. “Then why the long face?”

“Just tired.”

“Hmm.” Luckily he didn’t comment further, and he did end up buying her three pastries from a bakery on their way.

She’d barely entered Torii’s office and sat at her temporary desk when he dropped a huge pile of paperwork in front of her. Mayu stared at it but couldn’t really pull together the energy to feel one way or another about it. She felt strangely numb and a little out of touch.

Mayu reached out and grabbed the page on the top of the stack. A request for leave. The officer who filled it out had taken a week off only three months ago. Oh, well, somebody should be having fun. She ticked the Approved box and set it aside.

Torii opened his mouth to say something, and she looked up at him, patient. He frowned and snapped his mouth shut. “Mayu...”

“I should probably work on this, Torii if I want to finish it by the end of the day.”

The next was a request to turn an unused storage room into a small meeting room for team leaders of the General Forces. It would cost some money to sound-proof and furnish, but it wasn’t a terrible idea. She stood and walked over to the shelves against the far wall and pulled down the huge book they used to keep track of the budgets, ignoring the way Torii watched her with an unreadable expression.

“There’s an extra pastry if you want it,” she said absently as she turned to _Upgrades._

 _“Kai!”_ Mayu blinked over at Torii, who was staring down at the hand sign he’d made and frowning.

She looked around. “I would know if we were under a genjutsu, Torii.”

“Not if you were the genjutsu,” he muttered but didn’t say anything else before stalking over to his desk.

Mayu just shrugged at his weird behavior. Twenty minutes and four forms later, Torii cleared his throat. “Naruto and I went to that new restaurant yesterday.”

He paused, expectant, probably waiting for her to jump on the morsel of information he’d provided. Instead of glee at getting an inside scoop on Torii and Naruto, an annoying pang reverberated through her chest. “Oh. That’s nice,” she said after she noticed he was staring at her, waiting for a reply.

She ignored the way he was studying at her with a mix of concern and bemusement. A small flash of annoyance hit when she read through the report in front of her. Dai needed to fire his new investigator. She’d have to talk to him about it later. She didn’t bother with the red marker, though, instead writing a small _see me_ on it and setting it aside to send back to Dai.

“He asked me to move in with him,” Torii said almost defiantly.

Mayu stared down at the desk and debated the merits of telling him that dating the future Hokage or his advisor led to things like creating tiny little soldiers out of Academy students to sabotage the leaders of your village after you realized you came second to their Big Cause. Yeah, it sounded pathetic enough in her head without saying it out loud. Besides, Torii was a smart guy, she was sure he already knew. “Torii...that’s great, but can we not talk about relationships right now, please?”

“...Alright.”

She spent the rest of her day finishing the paperwork, only stopping long enough to eat the soup Torii brought her. Not even Hayao coming in to have an awkward conversation with Torii about updating a few of their workflows cheered her up. The urge to bring up Torii’s imminent cohabitation with his boyfriend in front of his ex was just a passing whim that she didn’t act on.

“Mayu, Fugaku-sama wants to see you in his office.” Luto’s voice broke through her paperwork daze, and she blinked at her much-diminished pile of work. Huh, she didn’t think she’d ever gotten through such a large stack in one day before. Heartbreak made her productive.

“Thanks, Luto.” She stood and waved goodbye to Torii, who was once again watching her with a small frown on his face.

She paused when she entered Fugaku’s office, which was fuller than she’d expected. Itachi sat in front of the desk, Shisui standing next to him. Ensui and Shikamaru were leaning against the wall, and Fugaku was behind his desk. Shikamaru’s lips quirked up at her, and she swallowed back the pressure in her chest even as she returned it.

Without having to be asked she shut the door and activated the privacy seals before taking the empty seat next to Itachi. Fugaku studied her after she murmured a greeting, and after what she’d call a hesitation on anyone else - Fugaku never hesitated - he spoke.

“Itachi and I have discussed what to do about the Water Temple Monks.” Another pause, and this time everyone in the room was looking at her. Oh, right, usually she insisted on interjecting with an ‘ _Exploding_ Monks,’ but she just fiddled with the edge of her sleeve.

Itachi cleared his throat. “We discussed sending a diplomatic contingent to speak with the current leader of the Western Tribes.” From the research Mayu had been doing the past few days, she knew that leadership for the area was fleeting and only a leadership position in the loosest sense of the word. “First, however, we need more information. Shisui will be crossing into the Territories and scouting out the temple. I’ve also deployed some information gatherers to figure out what, exactly, the monks’ relationship is with the Western Tribes.”

Mayu frowned and glanced over at Shisui who looked unconcerned with his upcoming mission. Still... “You’re sending him alone? Isn’t that a little dangerous for a single shinobi?”

Shisui grinned at her. “Piece of cake, Mayu. Don’t worry.” Her eyes flicked over to Shikamaru, who was glowering at their interaction.

“Shisui is well-suited to this kind of work,” Itachi added.

Mayu just hummed and sat back. If Itachi thought it was fine, it probably was. He might be strict and extremely intimidating as a Hokage, but he did his best to keep his shinobi alive.

“Alright. Information gathering first makes sense.” She had a feeling Shisui wouldn’t be shy about sharing details he learned about the Temple with her, either. “I’ve been doing research on the Western Territories in general. I’ll put together a report after I finish looking through the archives and current intelligence.”

Itachi nodded and then stood. “Good. Once Shisui returns, we can come up with the best way to approach the Territories. We’ll need to work with the Alliance.”

“Which means it’ll be months before we have any concrete plan,” Mayu muttered, but it sounded half-hearted even to herself.

“Sometimes diplomacy is the best tool.” Mayu nodded at Fugaku’s statement and hefted herself out of her chair, ignoring the way her body felt overly heavy and swollen.

“Okay. Shisui, I have some thoughts on routes you can take that should keep you from being spotted. Come see me before you leave, alright?”

She wandered out of the room, barely catching Shisui’s disturbed “Is she sick or something?”

Shikamaru caught up to her when she was halfway to the bathroom. “Sweetheart.”

She turned and lifted her lips, the misery she’d been feeling that day fading a bit when he put an arm around her waist. “Hey.”

“Hey.” His brow was furrowed. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired, I think.”

His silence told her he didn’t quite believe her. “Well. Are you about done with work? We could go home together.”

She shifted as her bladder protested the delay and looked up at him. “I could probably duck out early. Don’t you have to go back to the office, though? It’s barely four.”

Shikamaru shook his head. “Nah. I have to work a long day tomorrow since Temari is coming to discuss the whole monks thing,” he said, keeping it vague now that they were surrounded by nosy officers.

Mayu’s heart sank. “So I guess you won’t be able to make the class?”

Shikamaru and Mayu had signed up for a class for expecting parents that Sakura had suggested. So far they’d gone to two, and since it involved a lot of cuddling up to Shikamaru while the young, peppy medic in charge barked out instructions on how the non-pregnant counterparts of the equation could make the pregnant women’s lives better, she’d mostly enjoyed it. Who would say no to foot rubs and Shikamaru’s undivided attention?

He stilled and his eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Baby, I -”

“It’s okay,” she said to her feet. “I understand. I’m going to go to the bathroom, and then we can go home, alright?”

She squeezed his hand before escaping to the bathroom, for once happy that her bladder had become more and more insistent these days. She ignored the disappointment curdling in her stomach as she washed her hands. She wished she could muster anger over the situation, but all that was really left was a sort of weary acceptance. She was in this on her own.

She met her tired eyes in the mirror. “No use crying over it,” she reminded herself.

000

Kiba, for once, didn’t pick at her when she stopped by his house and asked him to fill in for the class that afternoon. Mayu had found that a medic who worked specifically in the maternal ward had insights that she hadn’t found even in the substantial amount of research she’d done, and didn’t want to miss it.

“So what is this ‘thing’ I’m helping you with, anyway?” Kiba was appropriately suspicious, but Mayu just flapped a hand at him.

“Nothing crazy.”

“Everything with you is crazy.”

She hummed but didn’t respond. “What is wrong with you?” Kiba demanded, and when she looked over at him both he and Akamaru were studying her with cocked heads and furrowed brows.

Her lips twitched at how ridiculous they looked. “Nothing.” She fiddled with the edge of the soft long-sleeved shirt that was once Shikamaru’s that she’d opted to wear.

“Did Shikamaru cheat on you or something? Because if he did, I’ll kill him.” He said it with complete seriousness even as Mayu flailed and inhaled her spit.

“What? No! Why would you - why would you think that?”

Kiba huffed and adjusted the large blue matt Mayu had forced him to carry. They turned a corner and the big park where the class was taking place came into view. “I don’t know, you’re acting all weird, everybody thinks so.”

“Everybody?”

“Hinata stopped by yesterday,” he admitted after a sheepish pause. “She said both Torii and Shisui asked what was wrong with you. Then Itachi-sama said something at dinner.”

Mayu’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, well, Itachi-sama will be super happy when he realizes he won.”

“Won what?”

“Shikamaru,” she said, the one word sounding sad even to herself.

“I...am really confused.” He tugged her back from where she was about to step out in front of a cart without comment and then nudged her forward when it was clear to cross the street.

“It’s dumb,” Mayu said and blinked rapidly. “I think I’ve always known a little bit, and that’s why I broke up with him that one time. But I just realized, I mean really realized, that he doesn’t love me best.”

Kiba gaped at her. “You think...he loves Itachi best?”

“God, Kiba, keep up. No, he loves the _village_ best. I’m always going to be a far second, well, third, now, but the baby is supposed to be first so that’s okay.”

Kiba looked like she’d just announced that ninken were actually cats. “You...Mayu, that’s not -”

“Look, here we are,” Mayu said with false cheer and waved at Aki, the instructor.

Most of the couples were already there, and a few of them did a double take when they saw her partner. Mayu tugged Kiba towards an empty spot in the circle while Akamaru wandered over to sit under a tree. Kiba took in the pregnant women and their partners with a look of dawning horror. She plucked the matt from him and started laying it out.

“Nara-sama,” a falsely sweet voice said, and Mayu resisted the urge to groan. How had she forgotten that one of the women she used to work within Interrogation was in her class? Most of the people on that team hated her.

“Uh, hey, Nikko-san.”

Nikko gave her a sympathetic smile that immediately put her hackles up. “Where’s Nara-sama? He must have had something _important_ to do, huh?” She wasn’t as subtle as she thought with her dig and there were a few cringes around the circle. Mayu had to hand it to her - like any good interrogator she knew just what to say to make it hurt.

Anger flashed through her, dissipating some of the fog she’d been walking around in the past few days. “Actually, Shikamaru is dead. Kiba’s agreed to fill in as the child’s baby-daddy, though, so at least I’m not alone.” She let her eyes fill with tears and elbowed Kiba when he made a high-pitched noise.

“Uh, yeah, I’ll, uh, always be here for my good friend Mayu.”

Mayu resisted the urge to crow in victory when a few people sent Nikko horrified looks. She bravely waved off their sympathy and announced she just wanted to concentrate on the class. Kiba was shaking with suppressed laughter as he sat cross-legged behind her per the instructions of Aki, who looked more confused than sad. After all, the whole village would know if Nara Shikamaru were actually dead.

“You’re awful,” Kiba said in her ear as Aki started talking about baby sleeping schedules. Basically, Mayu had to be prepared for no sleep, ever.

“Wait until we get to the end when you have to rub my feet,” she muttered at him from the side of her mouth and ducked her head to hide her smile when he made another of his stupid noises. Kiba was the best.

The bad thing about breaking through her slight ‘poor-me’ daze, as Kiba had dubbed it at lunch (after he’d been forced to rub her feet), was that now the disappointment was acuter when she came home to an empty house. She sat on the couch and played the violin for a bit since one of her books had mentioned fetuses liked music or something.

Mayu assumed being in a womb was extremely dull, so playing the violin was the least she could do. She spent some time coming up with a lesson plan for teaching her soon-to-be baby to play when it could actually hold an instrument. The peanut was a Holmes, kind of, which made learning a musical instrument a must.

Afterward, she sat on the couch and stared at her feet, swallowing thickly. She didn’t want to go to her parents’ house since she wasn’t ready for Shikaku’s all-knowing gaze or Yoshino’s sympathy. Ensui and Kakashi’s lights were all out, so they weren’t even home.

It was almost seven, which meant the woodshop would be empty. If she was careful she wouldn’t have to worry about fumes or power tools, and she missed the smell of sawdust and the familiarity of her workbench.

Mind made up, she grabbed a jacket and headed out the door. The night was cool but pleasant and her mood lifted as she approached the woodshop. She picked the lock on the back door after making sure all the lights were off and the place was empty, humming tunelessly under her breath. The door snicked open and she hefted herself to her feet with less grace than she would have even two weeks ago.

“That should not be as hard as it is.” She was barely showing, after all. She wandered over to her desk, easily navigating the workbenches and large tools clustered around the room. She stopped and eyed a chair that was halfway finished in Aimi’s work area.

“Not bad. Huh.”

Finally, she made it to her drafting table, wrinkling her nose at how dusty it was after switching the light on above it. She spent some time cleaning it off before grabbing some large sheets of paper and a few pencils. The first touch of lead against paper had her shoulders relaxing, and she breathed in the smell of wood and oils.

“I wonder if you’ll like it here, too,” Mayu said conversationally as she set aside a schematic for an armoire with a booby-trapped drawer to leave for Akinobu-sensei as an apology for not being around lately. To make it clear, she added a note that said, _So that you don’t run out of things that actually sell._ That should annoy him sufficiently.

Mayu hesitated before grabbing another sheet of paper. She really should head home. Even as she thought it, she was pulling the paper in front of her and sketching out an idea she’d been playing with for a few months. As she drew out long, deceptively elegant lines, her mind decided to take up the mantle of why, exactly, she didn’t want to go home.

Crawling into a cold bed was just something she didn’t have in her at the moment. “You’re being lame,” she said to herself, ignoring the wet spots that were smudging the lines on her paper. “It’s not like he left you for someone else. You’re still married.”

“It’s like you’ve completely forgotten everything I taught you about keeping your schematics clean,” a voice barked behind her, and Mayu flailed so hard her stool started to tip back.

A strong arm wrapped around her and kept her from falling as the grumpy grumbling in her ear revealed the identity of her attacker just before he pulled away. “Akinobu-sensei, jeez, you should have been a shinobi with sneaking skills like that,” she muttered as her heart rate leveled out.

Luckily, her fainting episodes had tapered off as she got further into her pregnancy, much to Sakura’s confusion, so she didn’t fall over into a swoon. Usually, it worked the opposite way, becoming more intense the further along in the pregnancy a person was, but Mayu figured it had more to do with her getting better control of her physical reactions than anything else.

She wiped at her cheeks even though she knew it was useless to pretend she hadn’t been crying. So much for her promise to herself. Seriously, hormones were the worst. Akinobu was frowning at her, and for once he didn’t have a cup of tea in his hands.

“I thought you were supposed to avoid things like wood shops.”

Mayu just shrugged. Akinobu looked over her shoulder at her schematic and raised his eyebrow. “No spiders or beetles?”

“I’m branching out.”

He moved on to the armoire and snorted at her note. “We do just fine without you,” he said even as he rolled it up and tucked it under his arm. “What do you want for it?”

“It’s a gift.”

His eyebrows climbed higher and she looked away. She might as well have lit a sign above her head saying _Everything is Not Okay with Mayu._ Arguing with Akinobu over contracts was one of her favorite pastimes.

“A trade. I’ll make you a crib.” Mayu’s eyes widened and she turned back to look at him. Akinobu still had the best woodworking skills in the village, in Mayu’s not-at-all biased opinion. A crib hand-carved by him was practically priceless since he spent most of his time managing the shop instead of making a piece of furniture from start to finish.

“Really?”

His face softened for a moment before moving back into his cranky mask, the lines that had been gradually taking over the area around his eyes and mouth over the years deepening. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

He glared down at her when she darted forward for a hug, then danced away before he could push her away. “So, what are you doing here at eleven o’clock at night? I’m surprised that husband of yours hasn’t shown up yet.”

Mayu’s shoulders slumped and she looked away. “Shikamaru’s pretty busy these days.”

She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, and he sighed. “You eaten yet, kid?”

“Um.” Her stomach growled and she winced. _Sorry, peanut._

“Alright. Come on.”

“Where -”

“Come.”

“I’m not a dog!” she protested even as she scurried to keep up with him while he turned off the lights and stashed the schematic in his office.

“Leave the new puppet design, Rika needs a project for her apprentice. The limbs will be good practice for carving.”

“Ugh, I don’t want an _apprentice_ working on it.”

Akinobu pointed at her as he held the door open. “Any apprentice at this shop would be considered a master anywhere else, and you know it. Probably better than you, anyway.”

“Hey,” she said mildly but didn’t add anything else to her protest, since it was true.

“I’ve always wondered,” he said as she skipped up to his side, “why you let my team work with your puppet schematics. I thought puppeteers were secretive with their designs.”

Mayu tilted her head. “Oh, well, you know there are layers that nobody but you, me, and Rika see. Like the mechanisms themselves. But...I don’t know, you’re just as smart as any Nara. I know you wouldn’t let anybody that you didn't trust see them.”

He didn’t respond, but she thought he was pleased with her admission of trust. Mayu was surprised when he turned right instead of walking her towards her house. He led her to an all-night noodle bar, one of the few restaurants within the Nara compound.

“You okay with noodles?”

Mayu tried not to gape at how nice he was being, and instead nodded and followed him to the counter and settled into a stool next to him. An older woman with her grey hair pulled back into a braid bustled up to them.

“Akinobu, you’re here earlier than usual,” she greeted, and he just shrugged and pointed at Mayu with a thumb.

“Gotta feed the kid.”

Mayu waved to the woman, whom she recognized from a few late-night noodle forays of her own. The woman’s smile grew.

“Ah, Nara-sama! You shouldn’t be out so late with the little one,” she scolded gently. “Ah, but I remember a few sleepless nights when I was pregnant with my own. They’re grown now, of course, but a mother doesn’t forget those things.”

Mayu couldn’t help but smile at her as she prattled on. They ordered and sat in silence, sipping their waters until two heaping plates of noodles were placed in front of them. Mayu fell on hers with all the enthusiasm of a hungry pregnant woman, ignoring the way Akinobu’s lips twitched when her cheeks puffed out.

She’d eaten most of her plate when he finally spoke. “I was married, once,  you know.”

Mayu resisted the urge to turn and look at him, though she couldn’t quite stop her jerk of surprise. If Akinobu was going to talk about personal, painful things, the last thing he’d want is for her to acknowledge it.

She hummed to let him know she was listening and took a bite. She had put together most of Akinobu’s history - she’d known him practically her whole life, of course, she had - but had never outright asked him about it.

“She was a kunoichi. A jounin. Her name was Leiko. We met and married young, but I knew the day I met her that she was it for me.”

Mayu swallowed past the suddenly sticky lump of noodles in her mouth and twirled her chopsticks idly instead of taking another bite, keeping her gaze firmly on her plate.

Akinobu took a sip of the sake he’d ordered earlier, and Mayu kind of wished she could have some for this conversation. “She was gone a lot on missions. After a while, I started to resent it. We fought about it a lot, that last year. I accused her of loving her job more than me. She tried to tell me that it wasn’t a choice for her, not really, but I didn’t understand. Leiko was born to be a kunoichi, it was in her blood and it was a part of her. To her, keeping the village safe meant keeping her family safe, creating a place where our future children could grow without fear.”

He cleared his throat and Mayu resisted the urge to hug him. That would just piss him off. “The night I finally understood was the night the Kyuubi attacked. The village was burning around me, people were dying, and the only thing between the monster and the children I was tasked with watching in the shelter were our shinobi forces. I got it, then - that there are some things bigger than our relationship, and it wasn’t...it wasn’t really about how much she did or didn’t love me.”

He stared out into the night and Mayu tightened her grip on her chopsticks. She already knew how this story ended, and part of her wanted to stop him before he could say it out loud, but she didn’t. “That was also the night she died,” he said in a gruff voice, then brought the cup back up to his mouth and drained it.

“Don’t make the same mistakes I did, kid. Shikamaru might be a bit of an idiot, but he loves you. He’s doing what he’s doing because it’s a part of him. Just like it’s a part of his father and his father before him. You and I...we aren’t plugged into the pulse of the village like Leiko and Shikamaru.”

Mayu didn’t try to deny it. It was part of what made her an effective investigator for internal issues. Her loyalty, in the end, was to individual people, not the village. She switched her chopsticks to her left hand, then reached out with her right and wrapped it around Akinobu’s hand without looking over.

He stiffened, but after a moment turned his hand around and squeezed hers. They finished their meals like that as Mayu mulled over what he’d said. It made sense, and something in her settled, more of the hurt she’d been drowning in for days fading away.

“Alright, kid, let’s get you home.” Akinobu pulled his hand out of hers and tossed money on the counter. He glared when she went to protest that she could pay for her own and she gave up.

She followed him outside, yawning so wide that her jaw cracked. “Ugh, it’s so far,” she mumbled. Now that she was full of food and good advice, she could barely put one foot in front of the other.

Akinobu sighed. “I live around the corner. You can sleep in my guest bedroom.”

Mayu perked up at that. She’d never been to Akinobu’s house before. He eyed her, probably already regretting the offer as he turned and started walking.

“Is your husband going to worry when you don’t come home?”

Mayu shook her head. “He’ll just think I stayed at my parents’ house if he comes back.”

Akinobu didn’t look convinced but just shrugged. She had a feeling that Shikamaru’s mental health was something he considered firmly in the realm of not his problem. By the time he keyed open the door to his house, which was fairly small but comfortable with its handmade furniture and rich hues, he was back to bitching at her.

“I told you, I’ll make the crib out of whatever material I want to.”

“But -”

“No.”

“What if -”

“No.”

“Mean.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and shoved a pair of clean sweats and a t-shirt at her. “Guest bathroom is down the hall. There are towels in the hall closet. I need to be at the shop by nine, so be ready to go by then.”

Mayu yawned. “I have to be to work at eight, so it’s fine.”

Akinobu’s eye twitched. “Fine. I’ll see you at seven-thirty.”

Before she could protest that she didn’t need him to walk her there, he’d slammed his bedroom door in her face. “So grumpy,” she called, sounding cheerful even to herself.

She took a quick shower, admiring the tile Akinobu had picked out for his shower and then snuggled down into the comfortable guest bed in her borrowed clothes. She felt much better, even with the added sadness of Akinobu’s story. When she stopped thinking of it as a _me vs. the village_ situation, it did seem less like a rejection more like something that just was. Shikamaru was a fixer, it was what he did. He also believed in the Will of Fire, and that the village was something to be protected at all costs.

He was, she realized, a bit of a hero. She’d always been impatient with the love interests in stories and movies when they tried to get the hero to become something else.

“Great, I’m the annoying girlfriend that holds the superhero back,” she muttered to herself, even as her chest warmed at the realization that Shikamaru was her own personal Superman.

She spent a few happy minutes imagining him in spandex before she fell asleep.

000

Shikamaru was panicking. He had gotten home at about one am, and the bed had been empty. He’d assumed Mayu was at Ensui and Kakashi’s house or staying with his parents. He’d wanted to go find her, but also wasn’t willing to wake up a whole household (or two), and wanted her to get her rest, as well.

Instead, he’d set his alarm to wake up early enough to walk her to work the next morning, and tried not to pout too much at the empty bed. She hadn’t been at Ensui’s or his parents’ house that morning, though. The guard at the Hyuuga compound had given him a judgemental eyebrow raise and stated that she wasn’t there and hadn’t been all night, either.

Kiba had glared at him when he woke him up and told him he hadn’t seen Mayu since the day before when he’d filled in for Shikamaru at the parenting class. His tone had told him exactly what he thought of his absence, but Shikamaru was too worried to form a proper response.

He flew across the rooftops, heading for the MPF. Fugaku would help him find her if she wasn’t there. Possibilities tumbled over each other in his mind. Images of Mayu passing out and hitting her head while taking a walk through woods, of the Exploding Monks deciding that she would be an easier target (because if she died, he knew it would be just as effective in taking him off the board as killing him), or one of her many and varied enemies lashing out while she was alone.

He was so worked up that he almost didn’t see her when he landed on the ground a hundred feet from the MPF. She was standing at the steps talking to - well, arguing with - Akinobu, who was holding his tea out of her reach. Shikamaru stumbled towards her.

“One sip isn’t going to hurt me.”

“No.”

“But I can _smell it,_ come on, I miss caffeine. One drink. _One -”_ She cut off with a yelp when Shikamaru tugged her around and wrapped his arms around her, so relieved he was weak with it.

He buried his nose in her hair and squeezed his eyes shut. She squirmed for a second before realizing it was him and going still. Her arms went around him, and when she spoke her voice was muffled against his shoulder.

“Shika, what’s wrong?”

“I couldn’t find you.” His voice was tight and shaky, and she inhaled sharply. “I went to Ensui’s and Dad’s and the Hyuuga compound and Kiba’s -”

“I’m sorry,” she said and hugged him in closer. “I didn’t think you’d notice, or I would have sent Anzu or Momo to tell you. I ended up losing track of time at the shop and was too tired to walk home. Akinobu-sensei let me stay in his guest room.”

Shikamaru opened his eyes to thank the man, but he was already gone. Typical. “I kept thinking about all the things that could have happened to you -”

“I’m fine. It's okay. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“You really thought I wouldn’t notice that you didn’t come home?” He pulled back as what she’d said sunk in.

Mayu’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, not like that. I mean, I end up staying at Ensui’s a lot, so I figured you wouldn’t worry. I guess I should have realized you usually track me down in the mornings.”

Shikamaru ran a hand down his face. Things had been weird between them, he knew that, and the last few days Mayu had been acting strangely. Instead of being snipey and making pointed comments about his absence, she’d been quiet and subdued. He’d thought maybe she was just tired, but now...

“Nomaka! We’re waiting for you,” Torii snapped from the top of the stairs.

Mayu spun on her heels and pointed up at him. “It’s Nara-sama to you! Just because I’m your temporary assistant doesn’t mean you can stop treating me with the proper amount of respect.”

Instead of looking annoyed at her snooty reply, Torii seemed relieved. “Just stop making out with your husband and get in here.”

Mayu sighed, but turned and smiled up at him. Something jolted through him, and he realized with a growing feeling of unease that it was the first real smile she’d given him in days - even after they’d made up.

“I have to go. I love you. I’ll see you when you get a chance.” She leaned up and kissed him before jogging up the stairs.

Shikamaru walked to the tower in a daze, her last words chasing themselves around in his brain. _I’ll see you when you get a chance._ That wasn’t a normal thing to say to somebody you were married to, was it? That was something you said to a friend or acquaintance that wasn’t around a lot. Someone you didn’t expect to make you a priority.

He let himself into the conference room they’d agreed to meet in so they could spread out, where Itachi was already sitting surrounded by books and files. Shikamaru wondered if he’d gone home at all the night before.

Itachi looked up at him, head cocking to the side as he took him in. Shikamaru wondered if his internal crisis was showing on his face despite his purposefully relaxed demeanor. “Shikamaru. Good, you’re here. I need you to go through the revised treaty with Suna one more time before I sign it. Also, I need you to head to Kiri tomorrow morning to go over it with the Mizukage, see if you can get her to agree to better terms after she sees it.”

Shikamaru’s heart sank but he didn’t argue - he never did, he realized. The village needed him to do something, so he did it. What about his other responsibilities, though? What about Mayu?

Shikamaru numbly opened the file and started looking through the treaty but couldn’t stop the part of his mind that was obsessing over Mayu’s behavior the past few days. He realized with a sudden jolt what it was he’d been seeing on her face. Defeat. He hadn’t recognized it because it was an expression she rarely wore.

“This is the third one this morning,” Itachi said to his assistant, who was holding out a packet of paperwork with a confused expression. “Shikamaru, do you know why people keep applying for your position?”

Shikamaru was pulled from his horrifying thoughts by the strange question. “Unless you fired me and we both forgot, no.”

Itachi mumbled something about shinobi forces being children and snapped his fingers. An ANBU faded into existence next to him. “Cat. Figure out why people seem to believe Shikamaru’s position is open.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” He accepted the paperwork Itachi held out to him and disappeared, probably off to question the applicants.

Shikamaru shrugged and bent back over the treaty, too distracted to try and puzzle out what was happening. An hour later Cat returned. Itachi looked up. “Well?” he prompted when the ANBU didn’t speak for a full ten seconds.

“Forgive me, Hokage.” If ANBU were ever hesitant, Shikamaru would say that’s what Cat was. “It seems as though there’s a rumor going around that Shikamaru-sama is...dead.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and Itachi frowned. “Who would start such a rumor?” he asked in a cold tone that promised retribution.

There - that was definitely a hesitation. He was fairly certain Cat glanced his way before speaking. “As far as I can gather, it originated from an...Expecting Parents class yesterday morning.”

Shikamaru put a hand over his eyes, already knowing where this was going. “It seems Nara Mayu announced that the reason her husband was not present was that he is...deceased.”

A pause, and Itachi, who was rubbing at his temples and looking defeated said, “Just tell us the rest.”

“She also said that Inuzuka Kiba had agreed to fill in as...her baby daddy.”

Itachi glanced at Shikamaru, probably expecting him to charge out of the room on a quest to murder Itachi’s brother-in-law. Shikamaru was too busy sagging over in relief to be angry, though. If Mayu was saying shit like that in public, it meant she hadn’t quite given up on him. A snarking Mayu was a fighting Mayu. Hope bloomed in his chest, and Itachi leaned forward in concern. Probably because Shikamaru was grinning like a loon.

He’d spent the whole morning convinced that Mayu had written him off. Now he knew there was still hope. “Itachi-sama, don’t throw away those applications.”

Itachi tilted his head to the side. “Why would I keep them?”

“Because," he said as he realized exactly what he needed to do to fix the mess he'd made of his marriage, "effective in two weeks, I’m resigning from my position as Guard and Advisor to the Hokage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing angsty things is hard. I'm gonna need some fluff, stat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi proposes a compromise, Shikamaru learns some lessons, and Mayu comes up with yet another plan that will make absolutely nobody happy. Also, fluff happens.

_I’m resigning from my position as Guard and Advisor to the Hokage._

Itachi stared at Shikamaru for a good ten seconds after he spoke. Shikamaru resisted the urge to squirm and kept his gaze level and his posture relaxed.

“Ah. I hate it when my father’s right.” 

Shikamaru frowned. That was not one of the possible replies he’d been ready for. “Hokage-sama?”

Itachi sighed and set down the pen he was still holding in his hand, then flicked a hand. Cat disappeared from view. Itachi threaded his fingers together on the table and leaned forward, a habit he had picked up from Tsunade that Shikamaru had noticed he only used when he was feeling off-balance.

“My father told me I was burning you out. That if tested, you’d choose your wife if it put a strain on your relationship.”

Shikamaru straightened and wondered if he was about to be accused of treason. Itachi did seem to understand that his shinobi had actual hearts and lives outside of being weapons for the village to wield, but he was still a kage.

That meant he wasn’t just a man, but someone who, at times, had to act as if he were the village itself. A mere golem filled with the will of those he needed to protect. The Advisor position was not one that could be forced on somebody, but quitting could still cast him in an unsavory light if Itachi chose to take the view that Shikamaru was an object owned by Konoha.

Itachi noticed his sudden unease and lifted a hand to wave it away. “I don’t mean it negatively. I know how...difficult it can be. Hana understood what she was getting into marrying a Hokage, and she still has some...issues with how much of my time it takes up.” Neither of them mentioned the tiny saboteurs their wives had sent after them, mostly because they’d agreed never to speak of it again.

“The Advisor position was never supposed to be quite so intensive, I admit. The addition of an international peacekeeping organization that Konoha would take a vital role in was...unexpected. I’m afraid you ended up with two jobs instead of the one.”

Shikamaru frowned. He supposed he had been working as the liaison to the Allied Forces along with the duties that they’d originally outlined for his post. At the time it had made sense, as he’d been one of the first shinobi to be an active member before they were even technically the Allied Forces. The relationships and trust were already there, especially with Suna and Iwa.

“How about this. Give me those two weeks to come up with a new description of duties. I’ll find somebody to take on what I feel comfortable removing from your immediate purview. You’ll need to train them, of course, but I can have Naruto take over the diplomatic portion of your job while you do so. He needs some time working behind a desk, anyway.”

Shikamaru opened his mouth, then closed it. That...took some of the wind out of his sails. “I probably should have said something earlier,” he finally admitted, and to his surprise, Itachi laughed.

“Yes, well, you’re still young, despite how quickly you climbed the ranks. It’s a hard lesson, realizing you can’t do it all.”

Shikamaru took in his pensive expression. “You know, I bet Naruto could stick around after I train up...whoever you find for me. It’s about time he started learning how the administrative side of things works. Kind of like what you did for Tsunade.”

He knew better than to outright say that Itachi should foist some his work off on his successor. Even hinting that their all-powerful Hokage needed a break wasn’t a good idea unless you were Hana or Mikoto and it was behind closed doors. He had to be seen as indestructible, even to his ANBU.

Itachi’s eyes narrowed and Shikamaru leaned back in his chair as sweat broke out over his lower back. Having all of Itachi’s focus on you was an uncomfortable feeling. “That,” he finally said, “is a very good point, Advisor. He probably should start to learn some of what it means to sit behind this desk.”

Shikamaru’s lips quirked up as he imagined Mayu’s voice in his ear scoffing the word “Politics” like it was something dirty.

“Take the rest of the day off to prepare for your trip, if you’re done reading through the treaty.” Shikamaru resisted the urge to pump his fist in victory.

“I’m done. It looks good.”

“Alright. I’ll sign it and have somebody drop a copy off at your house, along with your mission scroll. I’m sending you with Neji and Genma.”

Shikamaru’s shoulders relaxed as he stood. Even Mayu would have to grudgingly admit that anybody would have a hard time getting close to him with those two as his guards. “Alright. And Itachi-sama...thank you. The village is lucky to have you as the Hokage.”

He barely kept from snickering when Itachi blushed slightly. “Thank you,” he said stiffly. “Safe travels.”

000

Shikamaru only spent an hour preparing for his mission. After his bags were packed and he’d sent a list of instructions to Neji and Genma, he glanced at the clock. Two hours before Mayu’s shift was over. That should be enough time.

He showered quickly and put on a pair of pants that he thought were overly tight and Mayu thought were “super sexy, let’s take them off now,” and a green sweater that he knew clung to him in all the right places. His hair was next, along with some eyeliner, and then he was out the door to complete his preparations.

He made it to the MPF just as Mayu stepped out of the doors. She was talking to the Aburame, who Shikamaru was fairly certain had a crush the size of Wind Country on Mayu.

“You need to spend more time reading up on subjects you don’t know a lot about. You never know when a random piece of information will...uh...” Shikamaru didn’t try to hide his self-satisfied expression when her words trailed off as she caught sight of him.

“Bye, Torii,” she said absently as she turned away and drifted towards Shikamaru.

“I’m Junto...” he said, but just sighed and turned the other way when he saw her attention was otherwise diverted.

Mayu smiled up at him when she got close, her hands moving up to settle on his sides just below his rib cage. He leaned down and kissed her hello, keeping it just on the right side of appropriate to avoid her crazy mentor coming out to glare at him.

She leaned into him and made a little noise in the back of her throat. “Hi,” she said after he pulled back, and he smiled down at her and lifted a hand to settle on the side of her neck, his thumb brushing against her jaw.

“Hi. You good to come home?”

“Yeah. You look nice,” she said when he pulled back and threaded his fingers through hers. He grinned when he caught her glancing back to admire his ass.

“I thought you and I could spend the evening together.”

Mayu lit up. “Really?”

“Really. I’ve missed you.”

He had to resist the urge to drop down on his knees and declare his undying love for her when her smile faltered. “I missed you, too,” she said in a low, hesitant voice. “I, uh. I’m sorry I worried you this morning.”

Shikamaru squeezed her hand. “It’s fine. You didn’t mean to. What was Akinobu’s house even like?”

He relaxed as she bounced on the balls of her feet and started describing his house in minute detail. Apparently, he didn’t live in an underground lair like many of the Nara children he’d grumped at over the years had believed. By the time they got home, she was having a spirited conversation with herself about what the peanut’s crib would be carved out of.

“I have something planned for us,” he said when she wound down.

“Really? What is it? Are you taking me to that new restaurant? Naruto took Torii there, and asked him to move in with him! They’ve decided to stop being a secret now, and Torii said I could be the one to ‘accidentally’ tell Hayao. I think he feels bad about all the paperwork he’s been making me do.”

Shikamaru’s lips twitched and he couldn’t resist pulling her against him and kissing her. This one wasn’t even in the realm of appropriate, and by the end of it she was panting and arching against him. He bit lightly at her lip before stepping back. It was either that, or they’d never make it out of the house.

“Go get changed, baby. We’re going to spend some time outside, so wear layers.”

She blinked up at him, dazed. “Um. We could just stay here.”

He chuckled and dodged her when she reached for him, ignoring her pointed look at the bulge in the front of his pants. “Come on, I promise we’ll get to that, but first I’ve got plans.”

Mayu slumped but she didn’t actually seem upset. If anything, she looked excited, and he realized that it had been a good six weeks since he took her out. Before he could drown in guilt, though, she darted in and kissed the bottom of his jaw before heading for their bedroom.

He spent some time leaning against the wall and brooding, but his mood improved when she thumped down the stairs. She’d changed into a black skirt that hugged her hips. The hem danced around her feet as she walked, which were covered in thick stockings that would keep her warm in the cool fall air. Her blue sweater wasn’t bulky, and he could see her small bump clearly without her loose uniform or flak jacket in the way.

His chest clenched at how adorable a pregnant Mayu was, and he knew his eyes were riveted on that small curve. “Huh, I thought you seemed a little enamored of it,” she said cheerfully as her hand came up to pat her belly unselfconsciously.

His gaze flicked up to her face. She’d stopped two stairs from the bottom so that he was forced to tilt his head back when he stepped forward to keep his eyes on hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he _oomphed_ but caught her easily when she gave a little hop so that he was forced to wrap his arms around her or let her hit the ground.

“It’s cute,” he mumbled, and she grinned down at him.

“Soon it will be huge and probably the opposite of cute.”

“I don’t know, I think it’ll still be pretty adorable.” He admired the blush on her cheeks and let her slide down his body to the floor, though he kept an arm around her.

“Come on.” He held the back door open for her after they put their shoes on, and waved hello to Kakashi, who was out in his yard training a new addition to his pack.

“Oooh,” Mayu breathed as she caught sight of the puppy.

“Later,” he said, tugging her back to him when she took a step towards the tiny ball of wriggling fur that was currently resisting Kakashi’s order to ‘sit.’

Instead of pouting, she just beamed up at him. “We should get a puppy.”

“You don’t think a baby will take up enough of our time?” he asked with a raised eyebrow as he lifted her over the fence.

She stuck out her lip but didn’t say anything, which he knew meant he’d won that round. Probably. He hopped over the fence and tugged her in close to his side again, letting his fingers play along her side and over her stomach.

“You really don’t think it makes me look, you know,” her face scrunched up as though she couldn’t believe she was about to say the next word. “Fat?”

He frowned down at her. “No,” he said slowly. “It’s actually pretty appealing.”

Mayu’s lips twitched. “Appealing like, you enjoy seeing proof of your manly virility, appealing?”

He relaxed into her teasing. “Something like that.”

Warmth filled his chest when she laughed and leaned against him. “Noted. Shikamaru, big manly man. Mayu, little woman.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not that bad,” he muttered.

“No,” she said after a moment, and when he glanced over she was looking at him with soft eyes. “I’d say you’re not so bad, at all.”

As they got closer to their destination Mayu perked up. They were deep in the Nara forest now, the smell of loam growing stronger. Their feet crunched over the leaves that had started to fall from the trees, a gorgeous cover of reds and orange and yellows.

“Our tree!” Mayu said as they entered a familiar portion of the forest. She studied the blankets on the ground and the picnic basket next to them. There was a small bouquet of flowers perched on the top. “A picnic. Like our first date.”

He cleared his throat and led her over to the blanket he’d laid out earlier. She sat down and reached for the flowers, bringing them to her face to inhale with a small smile. He sat down and studied her as she bit her lip.

“This is really sweet. But...what’s the occasion?”

Shikamaru gently took the flowers from her hands before leaning forward and grasping them in his own. “I owe you an apology,” he said, and her eyes widened.

“For - for what?”

“For being a shit husband.”

“You’re not -”

“I have been. I didn’t realize until this morning how badly I’ve been behaving. Mayu...you actually believed that I wouldn’t notice if you weren’t around. I’ve been so focused on work that you think it’s more important than you. When we spoke today, it was like...you’d given up.”

Mayu looked down at her lap. “That’s not it, not really. I just realized that - that it’s not something you can choose between. Me or the village. You’re a shinobi of Konohagakure, it’s who you are, to ask you to be anything else would be asking you to be _someone_ else.”

Shikamaru shook his head. “No. I mean, yes, that’s part of who I am, sure. But for the record, if it came down to a choice, it would always be you.”

She looked up, eyes wide with surprise, and he took a deep breath when self-recrimination rose. “I just took on too much. I got distracted by all of the - the shit that seems to pile up when you’re in a position of power. But, baby, I’m done being an idiot, alright?”

Mayu’s lips had parted, and for once she seemed to have nothing to say. He leaned forward and put his forehead against hers. “I tried to put in my resignation today.”

She jolted and pulled back. “What? No! You can’t - you love your position, even if you gripe about it and - and if you join the General Forces, you’ll be sent on missions more often. You could _die -”_

His brow furrowed and he put two fingers to her lips. “I said I _tried_ to resign. Itachi-sama convinced me to give it another chance. He promised to find somebody to help with some of the work.”

Mayu relaxed and he dropped his hand. “Oh. That - that’s good. You’ve been overworked, anyway. Why didn’t he just do that earlier?”

Shikamaru’s lips twitched at her look of affront. “Honestly? I think he’s just as overwhelmed as I am. The Allied Forces added a lot more work to our plates than originally anticipated. I think I convinced him to have Naruto start working directly with him to reduce the workload.”

Mayu’s smile was only slightly short of evil. “Oh, he’s going to hate all the paperwork and sitting around. Though this way Torii won’t be lonely as often.” She brought her attention back to him. “Did you really try to resign?”

“I did.”

“For - for me?”

Shikamaru hesitated. “For us. I don’t want to miss out on our lives, or on the life of our child. I know I’ve screwed up, and I hurt you. I’ll make it up to you -”

Mayu launched herself forward, knocking him over onto his back, then crawled up his body until she was straddling his waist and looking down at him. “Shut up. Of course, I forgive you. I’m sorry I was such a brat when you were so stressed and just trying to do the right thing.”

“You’re always a brat,” he said, relief bringing a smile to his face. He rested his hands just above her waist and his breath hitched when she leaned down.

She huffed but didn’t argue the point, choosing instead to press her lips to his. He let her take control for a while, enjoying the way her body pressed against his. Her tongue was moving along his in a way that made him think of all the other fun things she could do with her mouth, and she rocked back onto the resulting erection.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her and gently flipped their position so that he was hovering over her. Her skirt was pushed up over her knees, and he ran one hand down the soft material of her stockings. “Should we eat?” he asked, voice husky.

Her smile was slow as she reached up and tugged his hair out of its tail. “Later,” she said and pulled him down for another kiss.

He pushed her sweater up and broke away so that he could lean back and admire the dark material of her bra against her skin. Shikamaru was gentle as he ran his hands across her breasts - they’d been sensitive and sore, he knew - and watched for a negative reaction. When she just sighed and arched into his touch, he pulled one of the cups out of the way, then leaned down to put his lips around her nipple.

The small noises she made sent heat coiling around the base of his spine, and he trailed his lips down her body. He dropped a kiss on her abdomen as he passed it, glancing up in time to catch her soft smile.

Shikamaru reached under her skirt and hooked his fingers beneath the band of her tights and pulled them down as she lifted her hips to assist him. Her underwear came with them, and he watched with half-lidded eyes as more skin was revealed.

He tossed the clothes to the side and ran his fingers up her legs, sending a shiver through her as goosebumps broke out in the wake of his touch. When he got to her thighs he pressed her legs apart and let his eyes run over her.

Her sweater was still rucked up, and her lips were wet and red. Her skirt was bunched at her waist, and he reached forward and ran his fingers lightly across her center, stopping at her entrance to push the tips of two fingers into her.

“Shikamaru,” she whispered, and he leaned down in response to her plea and circled his tongue around her clit.

He loved doing this to her, and he took his time despite their semi-public location, moving his tongue in lazy flicks and slow, firm licks. Hopefully, any of his clan members would know better than to peep if they did happen to wander this far into the forest. Shikamaru was, after all, a notorious assassin who wasn't known for his willingness to share. Her gasps and sighs and her small tugs on his hair were driving him crazy, and she’d barely stopped shivering from her orgasm before he was unfastening his pants and pulling himself out of his underwear.

Mayu tugged him up her body eagerly, and he wasn’t prepared when she twisted them around so that he was flat on his back staring up at the sky and she was straddling him again. He didn’t complain, though, especially when she sank down on him and started rotating her hips.

Her lips were parted and her cheeks were red, and he sat up so that he could kiss her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She made a content noise and put her hands on his shoulders for leverage, and the next few minutes were a blur of moans and whispered words as she moved over him. Mayu tightened around him and made the soft sound that always precluded her coming, and Shikamaru groaned as his own orgasm washed through him.

He fell back and dragged her with him, soaking in her laughter when he peppered her face and neck with kisses. “We should fight more often if picnics and sex is the result,” she said absently, and he shoved his face into her neck.

“How about I just provide the picnics and sex without the fighting part.” It came out more vulnerable than he’d meant it to, and her arms wrapped around him.

“Deal,” she whispered. They lay for another minute before she spoke. “So what’s in the basket?”

Shikamaru laughed when her stomach growled and disentangled from her, though he would have preferred to hold her a bit longer. He still remembered the way his chest had felt like it was full of hot lead that morning when he had realized how much he’d let her down. Mayu wrapped a hand in his collar, and when he glanced over in question, she pulled him in for a sweet kiss, laying her other palm on his cheek.

“We’re fine. Stop brooding,” she said when she pulled back. Her eyes were full of concern, and he took a deep breath.

“You’re right. Here, I picked up some of your favorites.” He opened the basket after putting his clothing back in order and started to pull out what was, now that he thought about it, an overabundance of food.

“That’s...all of my favorites. Shikamaru, how many places did you have to go for this?”

He shrugged and avoided looking at her. The answer was five, but even he recognized that was a little ridiculous. “You’re so cute,” she said with a happy sigh when he passed her a wrapped plate of spring rolls and he scowled at her delighted laugh when his cheeks warmed.

He watched her fondly as she shoveled food into her mouth. She’d wrapped herself in a blanket instead of putting her leggings back on, and he could just see the slope of her bare calf through a gap in the material.

“I stopped to see Sakura earlier,” he said conversationally once she’d slowed down.

“Oh yeah?” She cocked her head to the side in obvious interest. “You feeling sick?”

His lips twitched. “No.” Shikamaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I asked her to write the gender on this so that we could look at it together.”

Mayu set her plate aside and stared at the slip of paper. “R-really?”

“Yeah. She also threatened to break my leg and let an intern heal it if I missed your next appointment.” It had been terrifying.

Mayu snickered and dropped the blanket off her shoulders, shuffling forward on her knees so that she was sitting directly in front of him. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." She reached forward and plucked the note from his fingers. She fiddled with it and he swallowed as he was hit with a sudden case of nerves.

“Well, this is terrifying,” she said matter-of-factly, and he smiled, relieved that he wasn’t the only one feeling off-balance.

“It makes it feel more real,” he admitted.

“Yeah.” Mayu took a deep breath. “Okay. Here we go.” She unfolded the paper and Shikamaru leaned over to look at it. Mayu’s eyes were focused on the words written there.

“Oh,” she said, and he glanced over at her face, trying to gauge her reaction. She mostly looked shocked.

“A girl,” he said, rereading the words _Congratulations, it’s a girl,_ and suddenly he couldn’t stop smiling. He pulled her up as he stood, and she made a high-pitched noise of surprise when he spun her around. “We’re having a little girl!”

By the time he put her down, she was grinning back. “I admit I was kind of hoping for a lazy Nara boy, but...a girl will be nice.”

“She’ll be perfect,” he agreed, and they spent some time beaming at each other.

He dropped to his knees and shoved her shirt up so he could put his ear to her stomach. “I hope she looks just like you,” he said, images of a tiny thing with blue hair and a mischievous glint in her eyes coming to mind.

“I don’t know, you’re pretty good looking,” Mayu said, and he looked up at her soft expression. “You have the best eyes.”

He decided an argument over whose eyes were prettier would be ridiculous and pulled her down into his arms instead. “If it’s a girl...does it still need to be a Shika name?”

Shikamaru frowned. “You know, it’s been a long time since the Nara heir was a woman. But...it’s happened. Before Konoha was a village.”

Mayu leaned back. “Really? I thought with the way the Elders are all weird and stuffy that a woman in charge would be a no-no.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “The stuffiness is actually something that’s more recent, due to influence from other clans after we joined the village. I think if dad or grandpa had been born a girl, they would still have been voted clan head. One of our most famous Clan Heads was a woman named Nara Shikari -my great, great, great, great grandmother, or something like that. She created three of our strongest shadow jutsu and lead the clan through some pretty rough times. She was also a bit of a scientist.”

Mayu blinked. “How did I not know that?”

“History isn't exactly your thing. Plus, it was something dad told me about in our training. I'm sure it's written down somewhere, though, if you're interested.”

Mayu’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, you’re going to do super-secret clan training with our peanut. That is so. Cute.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. It probably would be pretty cute, honestly, especially if she was half as ridiculous as her mother. He noticed that the skin on Mayu’s neck had broken out in goosebumps and frowned.

“Let’s get you home, alright? We’ll take a bath.”

She cheered and scrambled over to start folding up blankets. Shikamaru pulled her against him as they walked back, listening as she started laying out a step-by-step plan on introducing their daughter to the joys of chemistry. Their _daughter._ Just thinking the word sent waves of contentment through him.

“What was your plan, anyway?” Mayu asked as the fence around their property came into view.

“What do you mean?”

“Well. After you quit as an advisor. Were you just going to enter the general missions pool again?”

“Nah. I mean, I didn’t think through it too much,” he admitted with a grimace and rubbed at his chest when she smacked it with the back of her hand and glared at him. “I figured I’d apply in Intelligence or something.”

“You would have been bored out of your mind.”

“Yeah, but I would have actually seen you and peanut more than once every four days.”

Mayu threaded their fingers together and sighed. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to quit. I’m glad Itachi-sama offered a compromise.”

“Mayu. I didn’t like the schedule. I would have cracked eventually - even Itachi admitted it was too much. He said I was basically doing the work of two people.”

“Oh. So where are you going?”

“Huh?”

She sighed in that impatient way she had when somebody took too long to keep up with her jumps in conversational topics. “I saw that you have a bag packed while I was changing. You have a mission?”

“Oh, yeah, diplomatic mission to Kiri. Shouldn’t take more than six days. Neji and Genma are going with me.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded. “That’s good. Tell Neji to keep his eyes open,” she said, then snickered. He rolled his eyes, but his lips quirked up.

“I like the name Leiko,” she said after he’d lifted her over the fence while she gave him a look of profound patience. Yes, he realized she could do it herself, but he liked taking care of her.

He could tell by her tone that there was more to the name than she was letting on. “That is a nice name,” he said slowly.

She glanced over at him. “You’re thinking deep thoughts, I can tell.”

“I was just thinking, if we name her without the Shika prefix, we may as well be announcing that we don’t expect her to lead the clan just because she’s a girl.”

Mayu’s face cleared in understanding. “But...I thought you only did that because of the Ino-Shika-Cho thing.”

Shikamaru winced at the reminder of Inoichi’s grumpy reaction to him and Mayu’s breaking of the famous team cycle. Chouja, luckily, was laid back enough to let it go. “That’s part of it,” he agreed.

“Huh. So we’d be making a statement, then. I guess that’s not so bad.”

“You just like that it will annoy the elders.”

“Well, yeah.”

He snorted and opened the door for her. He’d barely shut it behind him when she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor, then sauntered towards the stairs. She raised an eyebrow at him when he just stood at the landing and admired the expanse of smooth skin on her back.

“Well. Are you coming or not?”

Shikamaru didn’t need to be prompted twice. He was, after all, a genius.

000

Mayu watched Junto talk to Sakura on the other side of the bullpen with a mixture of awe and delight. Sakura had been Firmly Single for years, keeping all of her relationships casual. Team Seven had worked hard to pretend it had nothing to do with her broken heart after Sasuke had married Yuhui.

Now, though...she was _giggling_ and _blushing_ and it was actually fairly disturbing. Junto was an Aburame, so the only sign that he was equally as affected was the slight coloration of his cheeks and the faint buzzing of his insects.

“Huh. Bets on who gets married first: Sakura and Junto; or Torii and Naruto?” Akito asked idly.

Luto slapped down some money on Mayu’s desk. “No way will Naruto be able to stop himself from proposing. The guy’s got no impulse control.”

Akito snorted. “Please, Junto’s an Aburame. If he asked her out, he’s already decided that he’s going to marry her and has a five-step plan on how to get her there as quickly as possible before somebody else tries to move in.”

“Torii has been looking for love for a long time,” Hinata said in a sweet voice which was mitigated by the money she laid out on the desk. “I think that he and Naruto will be married within six months.”

Luto’s eyes narrowed. “Wanna expand that bet? I think they’ll be engaged in two, and married in eight.”

Hinata tapped her lip, then shrugged and added more money to her pile.

Akito rummaged in his pockets as he said, “Junto will have it in the bag by the winter solstice.”

“You _guys,”_ Mayu said and put her hand to her chest. “These are our friends! We should show them respect!”

All three of her team members sent her doubtful expressions and after a moment she grinned and slapped down her own stack of money. “Torii and Naruto. They’ll elope in seven weeks.”

The ensuing debate was broken up when an ANBU materialized next to Mayu’s desk. “Nara-sama, you’re needed in the Hokage’s office.”

Her eyebrows went up. It wasn’t often she was called out of work to talk to Itachi. She wondered if Shisui was back from his recon earlier than expected. “Alright. You guys - look into the financials of the pottery business.”

Akito frowned. “There’s no indication that the brother-in-law is involved.”

“Just do it!” she called as she made her way to the door.

Mayu looked around to make sure nobody she knew was watching and then took to the roofs. She hadn’t passed out in ages, and she could use the exercise. The air was cool against her cheeks as she ran, and she was relieved that she had worn an extra layer beneath her shirt. It had only gotten colder since her picnic with Shikamaru two days ago.

She went back to ground level a block from the administration building, not wanting to get caught out doing anything that her dad or Ensui could label a ‘dangerous endeavor.’ There was a spring to her step as she made her way up the stairs. Mayu thought she might be at the sweet spot of her pregnancy - no more morning sickness, and she wasn’t large enough for size to be an imposition yet. The secretary waved her through and Mayu’s heart sank the moment she walked into Itachi's office.

Ensui and Shikaku were there, along with Team Seven minus Kakashi. Standing in front of the desk, where they definitely should not be, was Neji and Genma, who both looked like they’d been in a war zone. Genma had a long gash down one side, and Neji’s whole right sleeve was missing, revealing a nasty-looking burn on his arm that Sakura was prodding at.

“Where is he,” Mayu said, surprised at how level her voice came out.

Itachi stood and her vision swam when she saw his expression. “No,” she whispered. Hands grabbed her shoulders when she swayed, and she realized Itachi had blurred across the room and was now standing in front of her.

“He’s not dead. Mayu, are you listening? He’s not dead. Breathe.”

She sucked in a breath and leaned against Shikaku when he put his arm around her. “It’s bad,” she said. “I can tell it’s bad.”

Itachi stepped back and sighed. “They were ambushed on their way to Kiri. Shikamaru was separated from Neji and Genma and was taken - alive - by the monks.”

Mayu stared at him, mind already grabbing the file labeled _Exploding Monks_ and expanding it. Information fluttered in front of her, and her eyes darted back and forth as plans began unfolding and forming their own folders. She pulled up _Plan A._ “We know where they are, but they don’t know that. They won’t expect us to show up so soon. That’s good.”

Shikaku was nodding next to her and Ensui stepped forward. “Yoshino would probably agree to act as our medic. Me, Shikaku and Yoshino - that’s a good extraction team. We just need to add in a heavy hitter. We should be able to get in and out without -”

“No.”

All three of the Nara looked over at Itachi, who seemed pained but resolute. “We can’t cross into the Western Territories with a team. I’m sorry, but I won’t risk a war, especially without getting an okay from the rest of the Alliance. We wait for Shisui to return and then Team Kakashi will go to speak with the tribes about extracting Shikamaru.”

“Itachi-sama - you know what Haya said to me after I fought her off. They’ll torture him. The extradition process could take weeks -”

“If they’re torturing him, then he’ll be alive.” Distantly, past the roar of blood in her ears, she was impressed that Itachi didn’t flinch at the looks he was receiving from Shikaku, Ensui, and Mayu.

“Hokage-sama,” Shikaku said after a moment, not moving from his spot by Mayu’s side. “We can go in and retrieve without giving our identity away.”

“You know it’s not that simple. The tribes are excellent at guarding their borders. If they find a Konoha Shinobi behind them, it would be war. We cannot risk it.”

“Then I won’t go as a Konoha shinobi.”

Mayu glanced over at Shikaku, wide-eyed. It seemed as though he’d already thought of _Plan B._ Ensui stepped up and nodded, once, and Itachi put his fingers to his temples. “You are not becoming missing-nin.”

“Shikaku-sama, we’ll get Shikamaru back, I promise.” Mayu stared at Naruto as he spoke, who was wearing his future-Hokage face.

“You agree with him,” she said accusingly. “You think we should leave Shikamaru to be _tortured -”_

“Mayu,” Naruto said, blue eyes serious, “a lot of people will die if we go to war. It would tear the Alliance apart if we brought it upon the Elemental Nations. We _will_ get Shikamaru back. He’s strong, he’ll hold out until we get to him. Which we will.”

_But what shape will he be in when they find him?_

Shikaku’s arm tightened around her and she could feel his fury in the way his hand trembled. She glanced over at Sasuke, whose brow was pinched. So he didn’t quite agree with what was happening. He knew, perhaps better than Naruto, what lengths people would go to when they were full of hate.

“Sasuke?” she said, voice pleading, and he stepped forward.

“Nii-san,” he started, appealing to their familial relationship, “let me go with Ensui-taicho and Shikaku-sama. You know I can -”

Mayu dimly realized what it meant when Sasuke referred to Ensui as _taicho,_ and was a little impressed that she hadn’t realized he was ANBU before then.

“No, Sasuke. We cannot risk it.” Sakura’s fists clenched at Itachi's words and she exchanged looks with Sasuke. “Ensui, Shikaku, if you try to leave the village, I will know it, and I will have you put in the holding cells. Mayu...”

His expression softened when his eyes landed on her. Her mind was already racing with what she’d need to do to put Plan C into action _._ Plan A had been a sanctioned mission. Plan B was sneaking Shikaku and Ensui out of the village. Plan C was trickier. And a lot less sane. And liable to get her into a lot of trouble with multiple people. She’d have to play this carefully.

Mayu scoffed. “Please, like your pathetic ANBU could keep me from leaving if I wanted to. Lucky for them, I’m not exactly in a condition for combat.”

She put a hand over her stomach and Itachi tilted his head in acknowledgment. Everyone in the room immediately looked away from her except for Sakura, who wasn’t a man and therefore wasn’t an idiot when it came to what a pregnant woman could and could not accomplish. Still, she remained silent, her face a mask of unhappiness.

Mayu met Itachi’s gaze squarely. “I won’t forgive you for this.” Her eyes flicked to Naruto, who looked stricken but not like he’d changed his mind.

She turned and left the room without another word, not even bothering to respond when Naruto said, “I promise I’ll get him back, Mayu!”

Ensui and Shikaku were right on her heels, bodies tense with what she assumed was rage. Mayu was distantly aware of people plastering themselves to walls to get out of their way when they passed by. She glanced over and raised a brow when she saw that the shadows around them were moving all on their lonesome. Yep, Ensui and Shikaku were just as angry as she was.

None of them said anything until they got to the compound, all of them aware of the ANBU that were no doubt watching them closely. They slipped into Shikaku’s office and he activated the privacy seals. It was basically waving a flag that said _We’re planning something!_ at their ANBU spies, but they didn’t have much of a choice.

“When’s mom coming home?” Mayu asked as soon as the seals flared.

“She’s working a double, so not until eleven,” Shikaku said. His eyes were watching her steadily, and when she glanced at Ensui, he was perfectly still while he focused on her, though his body was coiled with tension.

Mayu let out a breath. This was step two, and she was going to have to make it believable. “You have a plan,” Ensui said, tilting his head to the side in a way that made him look like a bird of prey.

“Yes.” she tapped her fingers on her thigh. Her skin felt overly tight and tingly, and she had to force her mind away from images of what might be happening to Shikamaru as they sat in a room and schemed. “Shisui gave me access to some of his contacts. One of them is a group of unaffiliated nin of fairly high skill levels.”

“You want to hire missing-nin to get Shikamaru back?” Shikaku asked, eyebrows raised.

“Unaffiliated, not missing. I think their parents were from Kiri and trained them outside the village after they left it. Shisui said they were reliable if you paid them.”

“And we’re gonna trust anything that guy says?” Ensui snapped.

“What choice do we have? You two are good, but Itachi’s watching you too closely for you to make it more than a few miles from the village before he hogties you and brings you back himself. And I’m...” she waved at her stomach.

“I’m sure we could find somebody willing to go. That team of yours would do anything for you.”

Mayu flinched. “And have them all thrown into holding cells for treason? I can’t ask our Internal Investigations Unit to do that. Every case we’ve solved over the past four years will be dragged through the mud. Plus, Itachi’s not stupid - he’ll have Fugaku keep them close.”

Shikaku ran a hand down his face. “Alright. How long will it take them to get to him? If they’re all the way in Earth or Water -”

Mayu waved a hand in the air. “Their base is in Wind. They can get there quickly. How much money do we have on hand?”

Shikaku tilted his head back. “I’ve got enough to hire just about anybody for an extraction stashed around the house. How do you know they’ll take the job?”

“They owe Shisui - he told me. If I make it seem like the request came from him, they’ll take it. Anzu delivered his last message, so they’ll recognize him, and I can forge his handwriting. Shouldn’t be tough.”

“And how will Shisui feel about this?” Ensui asked, voice tense.

“They owe Shisui, and Shisui owes me. He’ll deal.”

Ensui slowly let out a breath as he and Shikaku had a silent conversation over her head. Mayu waited impatiently for them to decide, aware of the ticking of the clock behind her. She really hoped she wouldn't have to revert to Plan D. Plan D was...pretty crazy.

“Alright. How are we going to get Anzu out? Itachi won’t just let us send off your summons to deliver mysterious messages.”

Mayu swallowed. They were going for it. “Easy. Itachi’s watching you and Shikaku closely, not me. Walk me to my house to pick up an overnight bag. When we get there, I’ll create a shadow clone to follow you back here, and I’ll hide away in the office. The ANBU should follow without looking too closely at not-me. After you leave, I’ll go into the forest and summon Anzu.”

“Fuck,” Ensui said. “It should be us going.”

“Yeah, well. This is all we’ve got.”

000

An hour later Mayu sat with her back to the wall in her and Shikamaru’s office, chakra hidden behind the seals there, feeling depleted from making a shadow clone but generally satisfied. Plan C was going off without a hitch.

After a few minutes she crept out of the office and stood, tense, senses turned up as far as they could go. After a few minutes, she relaxed. So far, so good.

She tossed the scroll containing the money she’d taken from Shikaku on the table before heading for the stairs. She wouldn’t be needing it. After all, she’d made up the team of unaffiliated nin that she’d promised to send the message to. Honestly, Shikaku and Ensui should have known it was too convenient - she had just needed an excuse to be left alone for awhile while they distracted ANBU for her.

She opened her closet and pulled out her battle coat. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too tight. She took off her MPF shirt and her hitai-ate and wondered briefly if she’d ever be allowed to wear them again. If she were caught by the Westerners, she’d claim she’d gone rogue. It wasn’t perfect, but it should be enough for Itachi to keep war from breaking out.

She pulled on a thick thermal shirt and black pants and huffed as she tugged the zipper of her coat over her stomach and breasts. Good thing the coat was made from flexible material. It was uncomfortable but manageable. Mayu pulled out her scroll carousel and strapped it around her waist. It already had scrolls filled with travel supplies and trap kits. One was dedicated to first aid, another had some of her beetle puppets in it.

She dragged out a plastic bin full of various gadgets and carefully selected an assortment of exploding beetles and grenades. They couldn’t be sealed, and she couldn’t carry much weight on this mission. She shoved them into a slim backpack and put it over her shoulders. After another short hesitation, she bypassed the scroll with Bukimi and Wara Wara inside and grabbed four of her Tiny Terrors and clipped them onto her carousel belt.

Her daggers and thigh pouch were next. By the time she’d added ration bars and forced down a light dinner, night was falling and it was time for her to go. Mayu hesitated at the door before slipping out into the dim light. She made it to the treeline and paused, listening and waiting for an ANBU to appear. Mayu didn’t want to fight one, of course, but she would if she had to. Luckily her subterfuge seemed to have worked, because nobody materialized out of the darkness and demanded to know what she thought she was doing.

It took her half an hour to make her way to the outer boundaries of the Nara forest. She hunched down and waited for the guard rotation to pass before darting across the grass and leaping over the wall. Mayu had never been more thankful for Kakashi’s lessons in sneaking than she was at the moment. She wondered idly where her wayward sensei had been during the meeting but didn’t focus on it for long.

Mayu kept expecting Itachi to appear next to her and drag her back home, but the further she got from Konoha, the more she was able to relax. “Well. Once again, I have lost faith in our security teams,” she mumbled to herself.

Mayu gnawed on her bottom lip as she ran. It would take her a day and a half to get to the edge of Rain, where she could then cross into the Western Territories. Really, it was a strip of land that ran between Wind and Earth, then expanded out beyond both of them to the west. Hence the unimaginative name.

The temple itself was only a few hours past the borders. If Mayu weren’t worried about over-extending herself and hurting the baby, she could make it in a day. Not for the first time, she wondered if she were doing the right thing. Well, if everything went the way she wanted it to, she wouldn’t need to worry about getting into any combat situations. Even if she did, her specialization was long-range and capture. She would just have to keep clear of hand-to-hand.

“It’s not like I’m incapable of fighting anyway,” she said to her peanut, who so far seemed content with their pace. “Back in the Warring Era, and during the First Shinobi War, women were out on the front lines while they were pregnant. We're not as breakable as people seem to think. As long as I don’t completely deplete myself of chakra, you should be fine.”

Shikamaru, of course, would have Thoughts and Ideas on her rescue mission, but it was his own fault for getting captured and dragged behind enemy lines. “If he thinks I’m going to raise you without him, he has another think coming,” Mayu said with a sniff.

She stumbled as memories from her shadow clone hit her a few hours later. “Oh man, Ensui-nii is pissed,” she said in awe and not a little terror as an image of his face right after clone-Mayu had told him where she’d gone hit her. Clone-Mayu had gotten the hell out of there, dispersing herself just as Ensui took a step forward. Smart woman.

Mayu’s steps quickened as a large chunk of her chakra returned to her along with her memories. “Maybe Shikamaru will agree to just, you know, not go back. We can follow in Orochimaru’s footsteps and build our own village-slash-underground lab. You know, minus the whole human experimentation thing. You’d be a princess.”

Mayu stopped to rest and gobble down a ration bar an hour later. She gulped down some water, then refilled the bottle in a stream, plopping in a few pills to cleanse it before shoving it in her backpack. She’d crossed into Rain a few minutes before, though luckily there wasn’t actually any of the precipitation the country was so well-known for falling at the moment.

Then she took a deep breath and summoned Anzu and Momo. To say they were unhappy with her plan was an understatement, but they agreed to help her after some wide-eyed begging, just like she knew they would.

“Our cousin was summoned by Ensui two hours ago,” Momo said as they took off for the border. “Which means he’s probably tracking you.” Mayu was sitting astride Anzu, who had refused to go on until she agreed to let him carry her.

It was extremely uncomfortable to ride on a cat, but she knew when to compromise, despite what others thought, and Anzu had sat down and refused to move until she agreed to the travel arrangements. Mayu wrinkled her nose. “Well, it’s a good thing you two can move fast. We’re looking for a small dried-up gully between two large hills. That’s where we’ll cross through.”

It started to sprinkle a little later, and Mayu unsealed her rain shell from a scroll. She was making better time than she would have on foot, and riding Anzu made her feel a little less guilty about taking the peanut along for the rescue mission, despite her initial protests.

“Am I bad mom?” she asked when they were about half an hour from the border of the Territories.

Momo snorted. “No. Why would you say that?”

“Well, I’m kind of mounting a rescue mission while pregnant.”

“You are protecting your husband. What sort of mother would just leave her children’s father to die? How would that be a good lesson for your little one? Humans are so backwards sometimes.”

Mayu couldn’t help the small smile that flitted across her face at the cat logic. “Thanks, Momo. And, uh, it’s a girl. We just found out a few days ago.”

Anzu made a low happy sound, and Momo’s ears flicked back towards her. “Good. More female summoners in the cat clan will be a good balance.”

Mayu snickered. She was doing her best to stay distracted from the _what ifs_ running through her mind, but Momo and Anzu weren’t exactly chatty summons. What if Shikamaru was already dead? What if they didn’t take him to their Temple? What if Shisui refused to play along? What if they all died?

It was only a few minutes later when they were forced to skid to a stop by a figure dropping out of a tree in front of them. Mayu had both daggers in her hands before she recognized who was blocking their path.

“Oh, good. I was starting to worry we’d missed you,” she said with more calm than she felt, slipping her weapons back into their sheaths.

Shisui raised his eyebrows. “Mayu. What in the hell are you doing here?”

She jumped off of Anzu and put her hands on her lower back, pressing it forward in a stretch. “Ugh, that is just not comfortable. How about I hitch a ride with you the rest of the way?”

“What? The rest of the way where?”

Mayu looked up and met Shisui’s gaze, all pretense of casualness gone. “To the Temple. They took Shikamaru, and we’re going to get him back. Well, technically you are. I’m going to play support.”

Shisui’s eyes widened. “Shit. But if they took him, why would they send...” he sighed as his mind ran through to the inevitable conclusion of what, exactly, would lead to Mayu standing in front of him, alone. “Let me guess. Itachi is forcing everybody to go the diplomatic route.”

Mayu’s fists clenched. Yeah, she was still pretty pissed off with Itachi, even if she could understand the rock and hard place he was currently between. Shisui rubbed a hand across his eyes, drawing Mayu’s gaze to the seal-tattoos that swirled around his eyes and underneath his forehead protector.

“So you’re here against orders. Pregnant.”

Mayu bristled. “You know, I’m getting really tired of people treating me like I’m an idiot or an invalid just because I’m pregnant. I’m perfectly capable of -”

“Mayu,” Shisui cut her off. “Don’t change the subject. You’re here against orders, and you’re asking me to help you commit treason.”

Mayu looked away. “I won’t tell them you helped me. Just...come with me, and get him out. You can hand him off to me and then get home only a little late if you hurry. Tell them you didn’t run into me.”

Shisui scrubbed his hands across the top of his head, causing his already-spikey hair to stand up even more. “Itachi won’t believe that.”

Mayu scoffed. “He doesn’t have to. He just has to convince the rest of your parole board. Actually, nobody outside the task force and Naruto’s team has to know you were even in the area. Please, Shisui.”

“Mayu....”

“You owe me,” she said in a hard voice, and took a step forward. “Two days. That’s how long I sat by that river after I rescued Chiasa from _your_ mess. Broken wrist, broken ribs, my collar bone was snapped in _half,_ my pelvis was in pieces -”

“Fine,” Shisui snapped, and took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll help you. But I’m not going to lie to Itachi about it.”

Mayu tipped her head to the side. “He’ll understand that you’re just protecting me,” she said with a shrug. “You can even arrest me after we have Shikamaru, that should earn you some brownie points.”

Shisui’s lips twisted. “You realize this is probably the end of your career. Most likely the elders of your clan will refuse to let you lead the clan with Shikamaru, too.”

Mayu swallowed back the lump in her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

Momo and Anzu moved up to stand on either side of her, and she put out a hand to rest on Momo’s head. This was her only option. Mayu couldn’t live with anything else. She wouldn’t leave Shikamaru in Haya’s hands - not after she’d seen the hatred on the woman’s face firsthand.

“Well, then. I suppose we should get going. Good thing I’ve already scouted out the Temple, huh?” Shisui said, then brought his hand to tap his temple. She watched as the seals around his eyes faded.

He watched her reaction closely, then snorted. “You’re not surprised.”

Mayu shrugged. “I assumed Itachi had given you the key to unlock the seals when I found out you were being sent on such dangerous missions. Usually, he’s not a fan of leaving his shinobi to die.” The last part came out cold, and Shisui winced but didn’t say anything stupid like _He didn’t have a choice,_ or _He’s just trying to do what’s best for the village._

Mayu already knew those things. Maybe one day she’d even forgive him. If they got Shikamaru back in one piece, more or less. If Mayu didn’t end up giving birth in a holding cell. If, if, if.

She took a deep breath and forced those thoughts back. Right now, she needed to focus on getting her husband back. She’d worry about the rest later.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue mission commences, and Mayu realizes that when it comes to the art of manipulation, Itachi is a true master.

Mayu and Shisui sat hunched behind a rocky crag that overlooked the Temple. “They don’t seem worried about an attack,” Shisui whispered.

“They don’t realize we know where their Temple is.”

“Ah, I love it when the enemy underestimates us.” Mayu met his gaze and they grinned at each other.

She remembered, suddenly, that his seals keeping his Mangekyo in check were gone and she was meeting his gaze. And she wasn’t afraid. He could knock her out with the swirl of an eye, but she somehow believed that he wouldn’t.

Her thoughts must have been written across her face because he sobered. “Itachi made the wrong call,” he said in a soft tone. “I’m tired of following along with the wrong call blindly. I had a lot of time to think while I was serving my time. Not to mention all the therapy.”

Mayu watched the play of emotion over his face, and for once she believed that what she was seeing was real. “A lot of my anger over what happened with Danzo was with myself. I was angry for being weak-willed, for letting somebody convince me to do something I knew was wrong because they claimed it was for the good of the world at large.”

Shisui looked down and grimaced. “I was such a mess that instead of working to prevent it from happening again, I fell in with another megalomaniac and did the same thing all over.” He met her gaze, and the resolve there settled something in her.

“I believe Itachi is a good Hokage and a good man. But he isn’t perfect. He’s always feared war, and sometimes that fear leads him to make bad decisions. Leaving Shikamaru is a mistake, and I refuse to blindly follow something that I know is wrong. We’ll get your husband back, Mayu, or I’ll die trying.”

For the second time in as many weeks, Mayu hugged him. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the tears that wanted to fall. she had needed that reassurance from him - from anybody. Reassurance that she didn't have to do this alone, and that rescuing Shikamaru was the right thing to do.

“Okay, Shisui-sempai. I believe you.” He jerked at her use of sempai, and she felt something warm and wet drop on the back of her neck as his breath hitched and he hugged her back. They both knew it was as close as she’d get to a declaration of forgiveness.

Mayu sniffled as she pulled away and they both busied themselves with studying the temple again. It was, Mayu thought, a major downgrade from the island paradise the monks had lived in before Pein leveled it. It wasn’t ugly, or anything, but it certainly wasn’t magical.

It was an old stone fortress that looked like it was made in the pre-wars era. A lake spread out behind it, and mountains jutted out of the earth on the far side. Pine trees surrounded the shores and thinned out just before stopping at the edge of what looked like a training ground. Rock-strewn cliffs rose up on the other two sides of the stone structure, and a road led in from the west. There were only a few white-robed people out and about, and Mayu looked up at the sun. It was barely noon.

“They’re actual monks, you know,” Shisui said. “People come to worship with them. I think that it’s only a small portion of them that are bent on revenge.”

Mayu rubbed a thumb across the rough surface of the rock in front of her. “So you’re saying I can’t just blow it up and kill everybody inside once Shika’s out.”

Shisui laughed, though they both knew she wasn’t exactly joking. “No, not unless we want to kill a bunch of innocent people. Which I think we can both agree, we don’t.”

Mayu sighed theatrically. “Can you sneak in?”

Shisui gave her an affronted look. “I’m an S-ranked Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan. I think I can handle sneaking into a base run by _combat monks.”_

“Well, at least you’re modest,” she said mildly, but her mind wasn’t really on their conversation. “We should make you a diversion.”

“I’m guessing it will have something to do with explosions?”

“It’s like you know me, or something,” she said cheerfully. “Okay. You see that outcropping there?”

Shisui followed the line of her finger to said outcropping, which jutted out just above the Temple’s well. “I’m going to send it into a rock slide. They’ll need to act fast to clean it out - limescale is not something they'll want hanging out in their water supply, but it won’t actually hurt them. It’ll just make it taste weird for a while.”

“Good thinking. While they’re out moving rocks around I can sneak in and grab Shikamaru.”

“Alright. I don’t want to wait until evening. We need to get him out before they’re tipped off about the diplomatic contingent. They might get spooked and kill him straight away so that they can ditch the body.” She avoided his gaze when her voice cracked on the word ‘kill.’

A few minutes later she was kneeling in some bushes by the outcropping, counting to four hundred to give Shisui time to get into position. Her palms were sweaty and her stomach was clenched so hard that she was worried she was going to throw up. Shisui had been too kind to say it, but they both knew Shikamaru might not even be there. Or he could be dead. _Oh, god, don’t be dead._

It was with profound relief that Mayu pulled five beetles from her pack and sent them out along strategic points on the ground. A small inhalation of breath and she pulsed chakra into them and hoped that the sound of the small explosions would be lost in all the noise the rocks made as they tumbled down the side of the steep incline.

Without waiting to see the reaction of the Temple’s occupants, she turned and darted into the trees, where Momo was waiting for her. “The way to the rendezvous point is clear,” Momo said. “Anzu doubled back as discussed to watch Shisui’s back on his retreat.”

Mayu leapt over a log, breath coming in gasps, though she knew it had nothing to do with the physical exertion. If she held up her hands, she was sure they’d be shaking. Soon she would know whether or not Shikamaru was alive. The weight of all the what-ifs was almost heavy enough to bring her to her knees, and Momo sent her a look of concern when she stumbled.

They reached the small meadow they’d agreed upon earlier as their meeting place a few minutes later. Mayu fumbled with numb fingers to unseal a medkit in preparation. _Get ahold of yourself!_ she scolded and took a few minutes to sit cross-legged and breathe deeply. She didn’t dare close her eyes, but the pseudo-meditation worked to calm her down, especially when she took her _What if_ folder and shoved it into her emergency lockbox in her mind cave. She’d deal with it later. 

When Shisui appeared, it was both better and worse than she’d been imagining. Better, because Shikamaru was with him and alive, one arm slung over his shoulders as they stumbled through the trees into sight. Worse, because he was in bad shape. His bare chest was covered in deep bruises and gashes, as though he’d been kicked repeatedly by heavy boots. The arm he had wrapped around his torso hinted at broken ribs. His face was...well, he’d taken more than a few hits there. He couldn’t put weight on his right leg, and it looked like somebody had stabbed him in the side.

Mayu stood and darted forward to help Shisui lay him down on the grass. “We don’t have long before they notice he’s gone,” he said urgently as Mayu cupped Shikamaru’s face between her hands.

His eyes were glazed, but after a moment they focused on her face and he frowned. “Mayu...?”

“Shika, baby, yes I’m here,” she said and fought past tears of relief.

“Mayu,” Shisui snapped, and she resisted the urge to kiss Shikamaru and reached for the first aid kit. “Get him stable enough to move. You have two minutes.”

Shisui turned and drew a kunai, and she could see Anzu and Momo circling them, low rumbles of displeasure sounding in their chests. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to concentrate on the stab wound first, which was bleeding sluggishly.

“Here, Shika, eat this, okay?” She held a blood replenishing pill to his lips, and after a few seconds of confused staring he opened his mouth and let her put it under his tongue.

“Good,” she crooned. “That’s good. I’m going to wrap your side now.”

“You’re really here,” he said in a slow, slurred voice, and she added possible concussion to the list of injuries. “You...shouldn’t be. The peanut...”

Mayu avoided his gaze and pressed gauze to his wound, then wrapped bandages around his torso, moving him as gently as she could. A look at his ankle confirmed it was broken, and her hands moved as quickly as they could to splint it.

“Mayu,” Shisui said in warning.

“I know, I know. Just. I’m worried about his ribs -”

Momo stilled next to them and cocked her head to the side. “They are coming.”

“We’re out of time,” Shisui said grimly.

The noise Shikamaru made when they hefted him onto Shisui’s back wrenched at Mayu’s heart. “I know, baby, I’m sorry. Just - we just need to get to Rain, and we can ask Konan to give us sanctuary.”

It wasn’t perfect - it put them smack dab into the hands of the Alliance, which meant Mayu would be in hot water without her Hokage there to hopefully back her up. But with Shikamaru’s injuries, Mayu didn’t think they had any choice. Shisui must have agreed because his only response was to take off into a run.

“Mayu, get on,” Anzu said as he pulled up next to her. She sighed but didn’t complain, instead leaping onto his back, catching herself from sliding off with a judicious use of chakra.

He lunged forward, and she leaned over his back as they sped up, Shisui keeping up with their breakneck pace without apparent issue. Well, she knew from experience how fast he could move, even while carrying somebody else. The trees moved past them at an alarming rate, and Mayu really hoped Anzu didn’t misstep because falling would hurt.

The thought had barely formed when the ground exploded somewhere to their right. Mayu’s eyes widened as Anzu’s body was lifted off the ground from the force of it. She pushed away from him in an attempt to control her flailing. The world was spinning around her, a blur of greens and blues and browns. 

She slammed into something warm and two arms wrapped around her. The world stopped spinning and when she was able to see again past her dizziness, she realized Shisui had somehow caught her while carrying Shikamaru, who was craning over his shoulder to look down at her with anxious - and much clearer - eyes.

Shisui set her down on her feet, keeping a hand on her shoulder when she swayed. “Woah,” she whispered. “Shisui, you’re seriously awesome. Thanks for the catch.”

Shikamaru made a choking noise. “Mayu, what the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Ah, so he’d recovered enough to yell at her. That was good.

“Saving you, obviously. I can’t believe you let yourself get captured!”

“Uh, guys, I don’t think now is the time to go over this.” Mayu followed Shisui’s gaze and swallowed when she saw they were surrounded by nine of the monks, who were creeping out of the pine trees surrounding them and looking generally menacing with their glaives and their glaring. They were another fifteen minutes from the border, and Mayu realized the monks must have traps set up along the way - hence the explosion.

“Anzu? Momo?” she called and then jumped when a slightly-singed but otherwise fine Anzu landed next to her, Momo joining him a moment later.

“Mayu. Are you alright?” Anzu asked and one of the monks - an older woman with blond hair and a scar on her cheek, stepped back when he rumbled at her in warning.

“I’m fine, Shisui-sempai caught me.”

Shikamaru limped up next to her and she put out a hand to steady him. Maybe his fuzziness earlier had more to do with blood loss than a head wound, because when he flicked an annoyed look her way, it seemed pretty clear. “I am so fucking furious with you right now.”

She handed him a few kunai from her pouch as the monks shuffled closer and the three of them turned so that they were back to back. “You can yell at me later. I’ve got some goodies in my bag if you’re interested.”

She barely felt the tug of the zipper as he reached inside of it. “You could have sent literally anybody else.”

“Actually, I couldn’t. Itachi-sama put his foot down.”

He froze next to her, then sighed. “So you’re officially a missing-nin. That - that’s great. My wife, the criminal.” He threw a kunai with what she felt was somewhat extreme force when one of the male monks slunk forward. He dodged it but didn’t see the shadow that had followed in its wake until it was too late. He fell to the ground, neck bent at an unnatural angle. The woman next to him made a sound of rage and horror.

“Hey, at least you’re still alive to have a wife,” she said hotly.

“You shinobi scum!” a man yelled and blurred forward.

Shisui and Mayu both threw their shuriken at the same time, and the monk moved into a very impressive spin that would have taken him out of their trajectory if they hadn’t multiplied in the air, expanding the weapons’ reach. He fell to the ground, gasping and writhing with the pain of multiple shuriken embedded in his body.

“Did Fugaku teach you that?” Mayu asked as her Tiny Terrors unclipped from her belt and zipped in to intercept a charging monk who was all rage and professed vengeance with a few flicks of her fingers.

“Yep,” Shisui said. “He taught me this, too.”

He sped through hand signs and a great fire dragon exploded from him and sent the monks scattering. “Tell you what. You two stay here and finish your married-person argument, and I’ll go take care of these jokers.”

Mayu shrugged and brought her puppets flitting back to a guard position, their little blades whirling. “Have fun,” she called as he darted across the grass and knocked out one of the monks. Shikamaru tossed a grenade at a group that was congregating on the other side of the grass and Mayu rolled her eyes when he turned a glare on her.

In the background, somebody screamed as Anzu and Momo fell on them in a flurry of growls and ripping flesh. Mayu shuddered when Shisui looked into somebody’s eyes and they dropped to their knees, eyes blank and staring.

“So? Will I be busting you out of a holding cell and going on the run with you after this?”

Mayu’s lips quirked up and his glare intensified. “You’d commit a jailbreak and become a missing-nin for me?”

He sighed, then winced as the motion pulled at his ribs. “Mayu. Focus.”

“Right.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, relief that he seemed to be not right on the edge of death making her giddy. “I’m in big, big trouble, and you’re going to punish me.”

She sent her Terrors after a short man with a comb-over that was trying to sneak up on Shisui with a hand to the seal on his forehead. An obvious attempt to blow him up in a blaze of suicidal glory.

The Terror dove at him, one of its spinning blades cutting through the man’s jugular and sending blood spraying across the clearing. Dark satisfaction moved through her, and she spared a moment to be relieved that Naruto wasn’t there. Mayu had a feeling they were looking at the last of the violent portion of the Exploding Monks. Water Monks. Whatever.

Except...where was Haya? She frowned and spun on her heel as she tried to spot the woman, taking in the destruction that Shisui had wrought. He was about twenty feet away, taking care of the last three monks. One of them got a hand to her forehead, and Shisui was sent flying into some trees with the force of the explosion.

Pieces of wood and clumps of dirt sailed at them and Shikamaru stumbled back when a large chunk of wood hit him in the head. Mayu flinched as something sharp sliced across her arm and her ears rang from the sound of the explosion. She was fairly certain there was a finger laying next to her foot, too.

Coughing past the disgusting smell of blown-up monk, she stumbled to Shikamaru, who was sitting on the ground holding his ribs. “Are you okay?” she asked, throat tightening at the line of blood dripping down his face, which was twisted in pain.

He ran his eyes over her before he answered. “Fine. You?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Don’t -” His widening eyes and outreached hand were her only warning.

“No!” he yelled as she spun, head whipping around as her hands went to her daggers. She caught a flash of white and met the angry, hate-filled blue eyes of Haya as she dashed towards her, glaive already coming forward in a jabbing motion.

Mayu only had a portion of a second to panic before something blurred in front of her. It took Mayu two long beats to understand what had happened when something warm sprayed across her face. Then Shisui made a small, choked noise, and Mayu’s eyes flicked down to where the blade of the glaive was sticking out of his lower back just centimeters from his spine.

Shisui had taken the blow meant for her. A cold calm trickled down her spine and she barely heard Shikamaru’s sound of protest before she was spinning around Shisui, her daggers comfortable in her hands. Haya’s eyes widened as she tracked the movement, and she tugged on her glaive in an attempt to wrench it from Shisui.

Panic crossed her features when it didn’t come, and Mayu leaped into the air, the ends of her coat twirling when she twisted. From the edge of her vision, she saw Shisui’s hands clamped around the wood just below the blade, keeping it in place. Mayu brought one of the daggers down in a vicious arc. Haya dropped the handle of her weapon and brought up an arm to block it, grunting when the blade opened a deep gash in her forearm.

Mayu’s feet hit the ground, and she twisted and stabbed forward with the other dagger. Haya turned and instead of hitting her in the heart the dagger sunk in just below it between two ribs and into a lung. Mayu twisted and then pulled it out, dancing back and to Shisui’s side.

Haya dropped to her knees, hands clamped to her side where a red stain was already growing across her white robes.

“It didn’t have to be this way,” Mayu said with a calm she wasn’t feeling. It was all such a _waste._ Anzu and Momo were stalking across the grass, stepping over bodies, blood on their muzzles and eyes focused on the woman.

Haya choked out a laugh and blood bubbled over her lips. Her crazed smile revealed red teeth and she tugged the collar of her robe down and to the side, revealing freckled, pale skin over a bony clavicle. There, on the skin, was a familiar seal. Haya’s hand was already moving towards it, triumph in her eyes.

Mayu scrambled back. They were too close, _too close -_ releasing a grunt of pain, Shisui pulled the glaive out of his stomach and with a precise movement, flipped it around and brought the blade down on her neck. Haya’s head hit the ground and rolled, stopping at Shisui’s feet, face stuck in a grimace of surprise. Her body went limp and fell to the dirt, seal unactivated.

“Uh,” Mayu said.

Shisui let out a short laugh and Shikamaru, who had stood at some point in the past forty seconds - had it really been less than a minute? - scrambled to catch him when he dropped the glaive and promptly passed out. He lowered him to the ground and Mayu dropped to her knees next to him.

“This is bad. This is really bad.” She reached for the scroll holding her first aid kit. She swallowed when she realized she could see his intestines, which were in ribbons.

“I don’t - I don’t know what to do!”

Shikamaru put his hands over hers, and she looked up and met his gaze. God, he still didn’t have a shirt, and the bandage on his side was soaked in blood. His face was bruised and his lips were cracked, and Mayu had to put her hand down next to her to keep from swaying.

“It’s okay. I’ve got that field medic training from Ensui. I think I can keep him alive. You need to go to Rain and see if you can convince Konan to send a medic.”

Mayu shook her head. There was a very low chance of Konan sending anybody across the border, and they were still two miles from Rain. “I’m not leaving you!”

“I’ll go,” Momo said and took off before Mayu could reply.

Shikamaru was already pulling bandages out of the kit he’d unsealed at some point. He was staring down at Shisui’s wound with a grim expression. Shisui’s eyes were closed, his face much too pale, breath coming in small gasps.

“I don’t want him to die,” Mayu said, voice soft and lost.

Shikamaru didn’t reply. He just took a deep breath shoved his hand into the wound, hand glowing green. Mayu knew he didn’t have the energy to spare but didn’t say anything.

“We need to slow the bleeding down,” Shikamaru said. “That - that’s all I can really do. I think I can keep him alive if we get help within a few hours -”

“Nobody is leaving here alive.” Mayu’s head snapped up as four more white-clad figures entered the clearing.

“How many of you _are_ there?” Mayu threw her hands up and watched as they took in the carnage around them, wincing when the person who had spoken, an older man who looked suspiciously like Haya, stared at her headless body, face twisted in sorrow.

“Uh. This isn’t what it looks like?”

His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t always agree with Haya’s methods. But I cannot leave this unanswered.”

“But - but they attacked us first!” His only answer was to step forward. Yeah, she hadn’t really thought that argument would work. Mayu exchanged looks with Shikamaru.

This was bad. Neither of them was in any shape to fight - Mayu knew she was already pushing the limits of safe chakra usage for somebody four months pregnant. Shikamaru was injured, and she had a feeling that if he stopped healing Shisui for even a few minutes, the man would die.

Anzu was growling next to her, hunched down and looking generally terrifying. Still, he couldn’t take on four combatants alone. Mayu didn’t see any of the suicide seals, but then Haya had just proven that they could be hidden beneath clothing.

“I can hold them off,” Shikamaru said. “You need to run.”

Mayu’s jaw dropped. “I’m not leaving you and Shisui to _die -”_

“Shikari,” he said and she frowned. The monks were spreading out and eying Anzu and Mayu’s Tiny Terrors, which she’d sent into the air.

He turned to look at her and a small, heartbreaking smile flitted over his face. “I was thinking. We should name her Shikari. It’s a strong name, and she was a hero of the clan.” He took a deep breath. “Mayu, you have to go. If you die...”

Mayu swallowed as she realized what was happening. He was trying to say goodbye. “I’m sorry. But I can’t. I can’t leave you.”

“You have to.”

Mayu’s fists clenched. “No. You’ll have to come up with a better idea.”

“Mayu, please. Please, baby, you need to go.” Her eyes filled with tears at his begging, but she just shook her head and reached for her backpack with shaking hands.

“They’re just a couple of monks. Anzu and me can take them.”

“Mayu, _goddamn it,_ you need to -”

The monks were apparently tired of waiting. Mayu scrambled to her feet as they surged forward, glaives blurring when they moved into complex patterns that seemed designed more for intimidation than maiming. Shikamaru stood next to her and brought hands covered in Shisui’s blood up in a sign. He was silent, recognizing that the time for argument was over.

Mayu swallowed and set her feet firmly into the dirt and slipped her hand into her pouch. She could hit them with exploding beetles, they didn’t take much chakra and were long-range. She breathed deeply through her nerves. They were low-level and not very intelligent, and she and Shikamaru always did make a good team.

Her internal pep-talk became moot when a small figure appeared in front of them. Mayu’s eyes widened when she realized it was Hinata. The monks were about five feet from them when Hinata went into a familiar stance and said, “Protecting Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!”

It wasn’t the first time (and, let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be the last) that Hinata had saved Mayu’s ass with that particular jutsu, but as she watched the monks get pushed away by sharp blades of chakra, Mayu had never been so relieved to have Hinata at her back. Though she was honestly baffled as to how she was there.

Luto and Akito dashed in from the trees, and Shikamaru, always one to pick things up fast, was already on his knees frantically working on Shisui. It broke Mayu from her own shock.

“Hinata!” Mayu said as the woman’s limbs came to a stop, jutsu complete. “Shisui needs you - right now!”

Hinata spun on her heel and took in Shisui’s prone form and bloodied clothes with wide eyes. Mayu didn’t even see her move - one second, she was standing over them, the next she was next to Shisui, hands lit green and asking Shikamaru urgent questions.

Anzu was still by Mayu’s side, and she knelt down next him to avoid getting hit by any stray jutsu or weapons. One of the monks had been taken down by Hinata’s technique, and she watched as Luto spun and ducked beneath the older man’s glaive, blade slashing across his throat. Akito dispatched the last two with ease and Mayu let out a shaky breath.

“Hinata is he - will he be -”

“I can keep him alive, but we need to get him back to Tsunade-sama or Sakura-chan,” Hinata said, voice shaking even as the rest of her remained steady. “I just need time to stabilize him.”

Mayu bit her lip and looked around the singed, bloody space. Bodies and various body parts littered the area. “No way we haven’t attracted somebody’s attention.”

Luto and Akito joined them and she ignored Akito’s gruff fussing with the ease of long practice as he checked her over. Luto was already re-bandaging Shikamaru’s side with efficient movements and Mayu was so glad her team had two Uchiha. People could say what they wanted about the stuffiness of the clan, but they were good under pressure.

“We need to clean most of it up,” Shikamaru said even as he followed Hinata’s clipped instructions and started to heal something inside Shisui’s body that seemed to be splurting a horrifying amount of blood. “A large earth jutsu would work, but I don’t have the juice for it. It’ll still be obvious _someone_ was here, but they won’t be able to prove it wasn’t unaffiliated nin.”

He frowned and Mayu sidled closer to him, holding a bottle of water to his lips. He drank deeply, then turned his head away to signal he was done. She frowned down at the bottle after taking a drink of it. “Isn’t there that group of missing-nin that’s been causing trouble on the borders of Earth and Sand? We could pin it on them, and allow the Westerners to take care of them as a show of diplomacy.” _Ugh, politics._ Fugaku sure had rubbed off on her if she was using them to her advantage.

Shikamaru sent her a small smile. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. There’s only one problem - you and I don't have the chakra we’d need to pull off a jutsu that large. Luto, Akito, can you -”

Mayu was already shaking her head. “Both of them can use Fire and Wind, but can’t do anything beyond a C-rank in Earth.”

Luto frowned. “Maybe you could talk one of us through -”

“Yo.” Mayu yelped and spun around, only managing not to fall on her ass when Akito steadied her.

“K-Kakashi-sensei?” She gaped at the man standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets, gaze taking in the destruction around them.

“Hmm. Looks like you kids are in a bit of trouble.” Mayu winced at his bored tone. She knew a pissed off Kakashi when she saw one.

“W-what are you doing here? What are _any_ of you doing here?” she finally said.

“Shikaku-sama and Fugaku-sama helped us sneak out of the village to come to rescue you. Ensui lent us Baken - he disappeared as soon as we got here, though,” Luto supplied cheerfully. He was currently working on the new gash on Shikamaru’s forehead while Akito wrapped the cut on Mayu’s arm.

“B-but papa had all those ANBU on him! And Itachi told him -”

“Shikaku-sama resigned from the position of jounin commander after you disappeared,” Hinata said in a low, strained tone. “While he was in Itachi-sama’s office breaking the news one of his shadow clones came to us, and Baken was with him. We were already trying to figure out how to get out of the village to find you. Fugaku-sama showed up and sent us out on a fake case near the side of the village that Shikaku-sama told us we could sneak out through to cover our movements so the ANBU watching the MPF didn't get suspicious.”

“Yeah, and he said to tell you that you’ll be buried in paperwork for _months_ for this,” Luto supplied helpfully.

“And we won’t be helping you with it,” Akito said in a gruff tone and she winced when he tightened the bandage with a little too much force.

Mayu just stared at them as she absorbed that information. “But - this is _treason -”_

“Well, I suppose I should take care of this.” Kakashi cut her off and rubbed his hands together. “We need to be across the border in fifteen minutes or we’ll be caught for sure. Chop, chop.”

“O-okay, we can move Shisui, but we’ll need to stop again soon,” Hinata said, tone low and worried.

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity as Akito delicately picked up Shisui with one hand under his knees and the other behind his shoulders. It would render him unable to perform jutsu, but with Shisui’s injury, they couldn’t tie him to his back. Shikamaru climbed onto Luto’s back, and Mayu was once again left riding Anzu.

“I’ll catch up. Go,” Kakashi said in an uncharacteristically urgent tone.

He was already starting his hand signs when they took off at a run. The ground rumbled beneath their feet and Mayu heard the groaning of the earth and cracking of trees as the jutsu buried the evidence. She was fairly certain Kakashi had just whipped out an A-ranked Earth jutsu and was incredibly relieved that he’d shown up even if she wasn’t sure _how_ he was there.

He caught up to them just as they crossed into Rain. They’d only been in the country for fifteen minutes when Konan appeared next to them, one eyebrow raised as she took in their rough appearance. Momo moved into position next to Anzu and Mayu ignored their murmured conversation in favor of eavesdropping on Kakashi and the leader of Rain.  

“Run into problems in Sand, Kakashi-san?” Konan asked in a relaxed tone and Mayu gaped when Kakashi eye-smiled at her.

“Yep. We had a run-in with those missing-nin that have been giving us problems. Luckily, we ran them off - they were heading towards the Western Territories last time we saw them.” Mayu realized he must have overheard she and Shikamaru talking about their plan for a cover-up and was going with it.

Konan’s smile was sharp and brief. Yeah, either she was in on it - whatever _it_ was - or she wasn’t an idiot and decided to just go with the path of least warfare. “Come, let us set up camp and tend to your wounded. If you go to your right there’s a lovely cave next to a river.”

Lovely wasn’t exactly how Mayu would describe the cave, but it was large and dry, so she ignored the chill of the walls and gloomy lighting. Before Mayu could demand explanations two medics from Rain were joining them. She was pulled away from Anzu as one of them started looking her over after Shikamaru insisted they check her out before him. It didn’t take a lot of convincing once he mentioned the peanut.

She was leaning against the wall, Shikamaru an anxious and bloody presence at her side while the medic worked. Hinata and the second medic were bent over Shisui where he was laid out on the floor, still unconscious, talking in low, urgent tones about blood poisoning and emergency surgery. Mayu had to breathe deeply to keep herself from throwing up or passing out. The stress of everything was catching up with her.

“Is she okay? Are both of them okay?” Shikamaru asked after a few minutes and the medic, a small man with light blue hair and kind green eyes, smiled reassuringly.

“Everything seems fine. Nara-san didn’t use too much chakra or sustain any major injuries. I’d suggest she keep physical exertion to a minimum for the duration of her pregnancy, and we’ll need to do an ultrasound and bloodwork when we get to Rain to make sure, but mother’s and baby’s vitals are both good.”

Mayu collapsed against Shikamaru in relief. She’d been careful with herself, but things had gotten dicey in the end. She knew she was probably aggravating his injuries, but he wrapped an arm around her without complaint and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Now, Nara-san, let’s see to you.” Mayu watched with narrowed eyes while the medic cataloged Shikamaru’s injuries and started healing what he could while in a cave.

Kakashi wandered over and leaned against the wall next to her, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Imagine my surprise,” he said as soon as the medic left to see if his partner needed help with Shisui, “when I received a frantic message from our Hokage on my way home from a mission in Sand.  Especially when it told me to go to Rain and coordinate with Konan on a way to save his father’s pregnant apprentice and her husband without starting a war.”

Mayu squared her shoulders and turned to face him. She had known that her decision wouldn’t be a popular one, so the anger in his tone wasn’t unexpected.

Shikamaru stiffened next to her at the reminder. “What were you _thinking,_ Mayu?” Mayu’s hands clenched into fists and she turned and glared at him.

“I was _thinking_ that Itachi had taken every other option from me. Shikamaru, tell me the truth. If we had waited for a diplomatic solution, would you be alive by the time we got to you?”

The way his jaw clenched said it all and she scoffed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Mayu, you can’t just run off on rescue missions! You’re -”

“Well, it’s not like I planned on busting you out myself! I knew Shisui would help me and keep me safe, but I had to _get to him_ first. I never planned on acting as more than backup.”

Shikamaru squeezed his eyes shut. “Do you have any idea how I would have felt if something happened to you and the baby while you were trying to save me?”

Kakashi was watching them, apparently content to let Shikamaru handle her. The stress of the last few days bubbled up, and she felt angry tears come to her eyes. She was so _tired_ of people telling her how she was or was not supposed to act, treating her like she was some sort of child just because she was pregnant. Mayu could handle the constant supervision and fussing, and she had no problem with following doctor’s orders and giving up just about everything that made her, _her_ for a few months. But she drew the line at people trying to force her to leave her husband to die.

“And what about my feelings? I’m more than an - an _incubator,_ you know! I’m still me, pregnant or not, and there is no situation that would get me to leave you behind!” Shikamaru leaned back and held a hand up when the tears in her eyes overflowed.

Her finger came up and poked into his chest with enough force to make him wince. “I will always come for you, Nara Shikamaru, always, and if you don’t like it, that’s just _too goddamn bad._ I don’t care what anybody says. I don’t care if I’m pregnant, or sick, or old, or - or if somebody ripped both of my legs off and I have to drag myself across the country by my fingertips to get to you. I’d burn down the whole damn -”

She cut off with a squeak when he leaned over and kissed her, apparently unconcerned with their audience or his split lip. She stiffened in shock before melting against him. She ignored Kakashi's grumbling about disturbing imagery and her arms went around his neck. Even though he tasted like blood and needed to brush his teeth as soon as possible, it was perfect. His hand smoothed down her back, the other going to her hair.

He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re so goddamn infuriating,” he said and she fisted her hands in his shirt.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

He chuckled and pulled back a few inches, moving his hand to cup her face. “I’m not leaving the village for the rest of your pregnancy. I don’t care what Itachi-sama says. And you’re going to be the perfect patient that whole time, you understand?”

Mayu pressed against him and nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her. Neither of them brought up the possible consequences of her actions, and after a few minutes, she dropped into sleep.

000

When Mayu woke up she was in a comfortable bed. She knew immediately that she wasn’t in Konoha, partly because of the dark grey stone of the walls and partly because she could hear the heavy rain outside. Shikamaru was asleep next to her and she noted that most of the bruises on his face, along with his split lip, were healed.

His arm was thrown over her and his breath was sending her hair fluttering with every exhale. She studied his face and for the first time in days let the knowledge that she’d almost lost him wash over her. Mayu started to shake and her breath came in short, cut off gasps.

He’d been _tortured,_ and their Hokage had planned on leaving him. What was she supposed to do with that knowledge? How could she ever watch him leave the village again, knowing that he could just be left to _die -_

“Sweetheart, it’s fine, you’re fine,” she heard, and then she was being pulled against his chest. She sobbed and clung to the soft, borrowed shirt he was wearing.

“I was afraid I’d never see you again,” she said and he tightened his hold.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. But I’m here, I’m okay.”

She nodded but couldn’t do anything about the tears that were still dripping down her face or the deep, ugly sobs that were wracking her body. “They expected me to just leave you,” she said. “I know you’re mad at me, but I _couldn’t,_ Shikamaru, I just couldn’t.”

“I know. It’s okay, I’m not mad anymore. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

She listened to his soothing words and let them calm her. “I don’t even know why I’m c-crying. You’re fine.”

“Shh, it’s just stress, baby. Let it out, it’s fine.”

It took her a while, but eventually her crying tapered off and she lay, completely spent, against him. They didn’t speak for a long time after she’d quieted. His hand was still running through her hair, though, and eventually, the pressure in her chest eased until she was able to breathe properly again.

Mayu sunk into his warmth and her eyelids grew heavy. Relief replaced the residual fear and stress. He wasn’t dead, and the baby was fine. Her brow furrowed when she realized there was one person unaccounted for.

“Shisui?” Her voice came out as a croak, and Shikamaru stirred. She made a sound of protest when he disentangled himself so he could reach for a glass of water on the bedside table.

“He’s fine. Sakura arrived last night to take over his care.”

“Last night...how long was I asleep?” she asked after sitting up and draining half the glass.

“Fifteen hours. The medics said it was normal since so much of your energy is going to the peanut.”

Mayu nodded once, slowly. “I suppose we can call her Shikari now, huh?” Her tone was light, but she was sure he didn’t miss the way her hand tightened on the glass at the reminder of his attempt to sacrifice himself. Thank god for her team.

Shikamaru hesitated, then took the glass from her to place it on the table and turned back to face her. She accepted a cloth that he’d grabbed when he handed it over and wiped the remnants of her breakdown from her face.

“It was just an idea. We don’t have to name her that.”

Mayu’s lips turned up in a smile. “I like it,” she admitted in a low voice and was rewarded with a full smile from him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He leaned forward and put a hand on her stomach over the also-borrowed grey shirt she was wearing. “What do you think, peanut? You like that name?”

Mayu put her hand over his and they beamed at each other. He leaned forward and kissed her and she sighed against his lips as more tension left her. They were interrupted from taking it any further by a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Shikamaru called once they’d rearranged themselves so that they were seated at the end of the bed and their clothing was in order.

Mayu expected Kakashi or Hinata and her eyes widened when Uchiha Itachi swept into the room. “Oh, crap,” she squeaked and wondered if her still-swollen and most likely red eyes would gain her any leniency. Probably not.

“Hey, Hokage-sama,” she greeted with a nervous laugh when his gaze swept from Shikamaru to land on her with a terrifying intensity.

He didn’t speak for a full five seconds and Mayu spent the whole time reassuring herself that he wouldn’t kill a pregnant woman. Probably. His lips pursed together and she wondered if he’d read her mind.

“Shikamaru, I am glad to see you well.” Shikamaru mumbled a half-hearted thank you and tightened his arm around her waist when Itachi continued speaking, eyes never leaving Mayu. “Mayu, you and I need to discuss some things.” Well, that sounded ominous.

“It wasn’t Shisui’s fault! Or my team’s,” she blurted and his eyebrows went up. “I mean, I intercepted him and told him about Shikamaru. I - I didn’t mention that you’d ordered him not to...”

She trailed off when he rolled his eyes, too shocked at the action to continue. “I’ve already spoken to Shisui, who spent considerable effort trying to convince me that the rescue was all _his_ idea.”

“Wha - what? That doesn’t even make _sense -”_

Itachi’s lips twitched. “Nobody is under any illusions as to who the mastermind behind this plan was.”

Mayu stared at him. “Um. I kind of thought you’d look more...murdery.”

Shikamaru sighed next to her, then _oofed_ when she elbowed him. “So what is it gonna be? A few years in prison? It better be less than four, because I’m pretty sure this is way less upsetting than trying to put the whole world under a shared genjutsu after creating a personal militia -”

“Mayu, I’m not putting you in jail -”

“Oh, god, you’re going to make me quit the MPF, aren’t you? I guess I could be, like, a _private_ investigator, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be horribly dull -”

“If I fired you, I’d have to fire all my best investigators, and probably my own father -”

“And what did you do to make papa _resign,_ anyway -”

“Enough,” he said and Mayu clamped her mouth shut and swallowed back a terrified noise.

Itachi grabbed a chair that was tucked into a small desk in the corner and carried it to the middle of the room so he could sit facing them. He spent some time adjusting his robes before he spoke. “Mayu, one thing that I’ve learned during my time as Hokage is that you never order somebody to do something when you know they won’t do it. Everybody has a line they will not cross, and yours has always been Shikamaru.”

Mayu, for once, was speechless. Itachi turned to Shikamaru. “Shikamaru -”

Shikamaru held up a hand. “I understand the decision you made, Itachi-sama. I don’t hold it against you.”

 _That_ broke Mayu out of her stupor. “You understand it? He left you to be tortured and _die -”_

“Mayu, baby, please stop talking.” Mayu glared at him, but she had to admit he had a point. So far it didn’t seem like Itachi was planning on throwing her into a deep, dark hole, or worse, firing her. Picking a fight didn’t seem wise.

Itachi’s lips twitched. “Mayu. I’ve discussed it with my father, and his punishment for helping your team leave the village is that he will be overseeing _your_ punishment.”

Mayu’s jaw dropped. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean? Shishou loves me!”

Next to her Shikamaru’s body was shaking with suppressed laughter, and it was difficult for her to hold onto her indignation when he was looking at her with his warm, amused eyes. She couldn’t have stopped her smile even if she wanted to. Itachi cleared his throat, and they both looked back over at him.

“Shisui did not technically break any laws, and the Shinobi Alliance is content to let the situation slide, as officially it was a group of missing-nin that caused a ruckus across the border. However,” his voice had gone cold, and Mayu shivered as the temperature seemed to drop in the room. “Nara Mayu, I will not be so lenient a second time, do you understand me?”

Shikamaru shifted next to her, probably ready to do something stupid like throw himself in front of her if Itachi twitched. She nodded frantically as a frisson of fear moved down her spine. Uchiha Itachi was not somebody that most people would want to cross.

“Good. I’ve already lost my Jounin Commander over this, I don’t intend to make it worse with further drama.”

Mayu and Shikamaru exchanged looks. “I don’t understand, why did he...”

Itachi turned to look out the window before answering. Mayu followed his gaze - all she could really see was rain, with a hint of dark buildings in the background. “He didn’t feel comfortable continuing to hold a leadership role after deciding to go against his Hokage’s wishes.”

Mayu sighed. That sounded like him. Though she was sure it was at least partly because he was pissed off at Itachi. He must have known what she was thinking because his smile didn’t hold any humor. “Many people think that the role of Hokage is that of a hero. And at times, they are right. More often than not, however, it’s actually the opposite.”

Mayu swallowed, then reached across the space separating them and took his hand. Yeah, she was still fairly angry with him, and their friendship had taken a serious hit, but she knew he was only trying to keep the village safe. She could be magnanimous now that Shikamaru was safe.

She also had a growing suspicion that he’d known exactly what she would do when he told her about Shikamaru, and had given her just enough leeway to do it. The timing of Kakashi’s arrival didn’t quite match up, either. Itachi would have needed to send that message asking him for assistance before Mayu’s clone had dissipated, which was what gave her game away.

He was manipulative enough to set them all up for this, too. In the end, Itachi hadn’t gone behind the backs of his advisors, the clan heads, and the Alliance and possibly started a war over one shinobi, but he’d maneuvered events so that Mayu and Shisui would have a chance to get Shikamaru out. He'd put his ANBU on Shikaku and Ensui, who at the time had held leadership roles that would have been impossible to overlook if they'd managed to sneak out of the village. Then he'd ignored her as a flight risk because he knew people would think she'd stay at home like a good little pregnant girl and let others handle it. Nobody could blame him for overlooking her, right? Sneaky, sneaky Uchiha, covering all his political bases. She wondered if Naruto had know, or if he’d just trusted that Itachi would really take care of it.

He looked down at her hand, then up at her face. “Thanks, Itachi-sama,” she said simply. He tilted his head, then stood, and she pulled her hand back into her lap.

“We believe the last of the violent monks from the temple were taken care of yesterday. Konan and I are going to meet with a contingent from the Western tribes to discuss the missing-nin that crossed their borders and left a mess yesterday.” She knew him well enough to recognize when he thought something was funny, but she didn’t comment. “You will be traveling with me back to Konoha in two days’ time. Rest up until then.”

Shikamaru whistled lowly after the door closed behind him. “That man is terrifying.”

Mayu slumped and nodded. “Yeah. I can’t believe he -”

Shikamaru put a finger to her lips and shook his head. Right, better to never say he manipulated them all into treason out loud. Then Shikamaru replaced his fingers with his lips, and she didn’t think of anything but him for a long while after that.

Mayu’s team came to visit a few hours after Itachi left. “I can’t believe you guys actually came,” she said as she pulled Hinata into a hug.

Luto scoffed from where he was lounging against the wall. “We’re your team. Like we’d let you go on a treasonous rescue mission without us.”

Mayu beamed at Akito when he added, “Couldn’t just let you run off and get killed. We’d probably end up with Torii as the head of our department. Could you imagine the number of forms he’d add to our processes if there was nobody to keep in him in check?”

Hinata’s explanation had been more simple. “You’re my best friend.”

Other than that small visit, Hinata, unsurprisingly, spent all of her time in Shisui’s hospital room. When Mayu finally entered his room the next day, she paused and raised an eyebrow at the way Hinata had jumped away from where she’d been leaning over his bed. Her lips were swollen and her hair was messy and Mayu spent a good thirty seconds laughing at the smug expression on Shisui’s face.

He looked pretty awful, really, with overly pale skin and a disturbing number of tubes coming out of him. He was also the happiest Mayu had seen him since he was released from prison. Mayu crossed the room and wrapped him in a gentle hug, leaving Shikamaru standing in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Thank you,” she said after pulling back and taking in his wide eyes.

“I - anytime.” Shisui cleared his throat when Shikamaru came to stand next to her, expression unreadable.

“She came to me,” Shisui said, and held his hands up.

Mayu rolled her eyes and patted Hinata’s shoulder when her eyes darted nervously between the two men. Shikamaru sighed. “Listen. I might not ever like you, but you saved me despite the personal risk and you took that hit for Mayu. So I suppose I can tolerate you from now on.” The _but don’t fuck it up_ was implied.

Shisui’s answering smile was bright and Hinata blinked rapidly when her eyes became suspiciously shiny. “So, what, are you two back together now?” Mayu asked when the tension became too much. “Because judging from where Shisui’s hands were when we walked in -”

Hinata put her hand over Mayu’s mouth and turned bright red. “Mayu-chan!”

Mayu wasn’t the only one laughing when Sakura entered the room. She’d already scolded Mayu when she had stopped by to give she and Shikamaru a checkup the night before, so she just raised an eyebrow at them. She’d also performed an ultrasound and brought the results from Mayu’s blood test (everything had been fine).

Sakura hadn’t seemed that upset with Mayu in the first place, really (she knew what a _really_ pissed off Sakura looked like), and Mayu had a feeling she’d figured out what Itachi was up to long before Mayu had. Which was annoying, but Mayu had been a little stressed at the time, okay?

They left after Shisui fell asleep in the middle of a sentence, and the last thing Mayu saw as the door closed was Hinata adjusting his blankets and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Yeah, they’d be just fine.

Shikamaru put his arm around her and tugged her close as they made their way through the underground tunnels that led to the guest quarters Konan had assigned them. Mayu thought it was a pretty brilliant way to handle the seemingly never-ending rain. It would be annoying to always be wet.

“So,” Shikamaru said casually as they entered their room, “how pissed are Ensui and dad going to be with you for ditching them when we get back?”

Mayu turned and gaped at him. “I totally forgot about that!” she wailed and threw a pillow at him when he just sat down on the bed and laughed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayu faces her family, Shikaku reveals a career change, and there are some new additions to Konoha. Oh, and there's fluff. Lots of fluff.

Mayu stuck her tongue out between her teeth and took another careful step forward, adding weight to her foot in increments and listening intently for any indication that she’d been spotted. When the conversation in the other room continued without pause she lifted her other foot and brought it forward, freezing in place when there was a minute squeak from the floorboard.

When nobody came dashing out of the kitchen she let out a soundless breath of relief. Just a few more steps and she’d be at the door. Escape was so close -

“Going somewhere?” Mayu screeched and jumped into the air when somebody rumbled the question from about an inch away from her ear. She spun and plastered her back to the wall, staring wide-eyed at her attacker. Shikaku crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at her.

“P-papa! Um, hi, I didn’t realize you were here...” she drifted off at his unimpressed look. 

“You weren’t planning on escaping out the back door without saying hi, were you? Ensui and I have been eager to see you and find out how your  _trip_ went. You know, since you didn’t have a chance to say goodbye and all.”

She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a squeak. The chatter in the kitchen had stopped and Mayu wondered where Shikamaru was. He kind of owed her a save.

“Well?” Shikaku prompted.

“Um. Well, you know it was actually pretty uneventful...” Ensui appeared behind his brother, and yeah, she could really see the family resemblance now that they were both standing there, arms crossed over their chests and glowering.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account, sweetheart. Go ahead and tell us all about how uneventful your trip was.”

Mayu looked down at where her fingers were twisting in the fabric of the t-shirt she was wearing. “Well. Rain is really, um, nice this time of year?”

“Mayu...”

She sighed and lifted her chin, meeting Shikaku’s gaze squarely. “He’s my husband. I had a  _plan,_ okay? I didn’t even try to save him myself, I just needed to get to Shisui and convince him to do it.”

“You lied to us.”

“Uh, I’m a ninja. Of course, I lied! I cheat and kill, too.”

Shikaku looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Then he reached out and tugged her into a hug, ignoring her flailing. “What would I have done if I lost all three of you?” he said into her hair.

Mayu relaxed and wrapped her arms around him. “Like I’d let that happen,” she mumbled.

She pulled back and peeked around him, staring up at Ensui hopefully. He was still looking pretty pissed off so she didn’t go in for a hug. “It’s Itachi’s fault, you know,” she declared and he rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. I’m not as easy a target as your dad, so don’t even try with the sad eyes. Come into the kitchen and sit down.”

Shikaku put his arm around her shoulders to keep her from dragging her feet and she stuck out her lower lip. She eyed Yoshino warily when she entered the room. She was standing against the counter, hands on her hips. Shikamaru was at their table, still in his sweats and t-shirt and sprawled back in his chair, eyes half-closed.

They’d taken it easy on the journey back in deference to Shikamaru’s injuries and Mayu’s pregnancy, but he’d still been run down by the travel. Mayu stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring down at her feet and waiting for Yoshino to lay into her. Ensui was watching with what she thought was a little too much eagerness and Shikaku sauntered over to sit next to Shikamaru.

Mayu’s muscles tightened as she waited for the lecture to begin and she winced when Yoshino finally started to cross the kitchen towards her. The last thing she expected was to be yanked into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” Yoshino whispered into her hair. “For saving him, and for bringing yourself and the baby back in one piece.”

Tears prickled Mayu’s eyes and she returned the embrace fiercely after turning her face into Yoshino’s neck. “You’re not mad?”

Yoshino sighed and ran her hand through Mayu's hair. “If it was Shikaku, I would have done the same thing. I know it wasn’t an easy decision to go after him, but sometimes life means making difficult choices. Let’s just keep further adventures to a minimum until we get this kid out, okay?”

“What, seriously? You’re the only one who actually scares her!” Ensui said. They both ignored him in favor of more hugging.

By the time Mayu pulled away all three Nara men were sitting at the table and glowering at the walls. Mayu rolled her eyes and walked over to plop into Shikamaru’s lap. Despite his ire, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her firmly against his chest.

“Did you tell them yet?” Mayu asked.

“Tell us what?” Yoshino wiped her eyes and took the last seat at the table.

“We chose a name for the baby.” She grinned at the suddenly-interested looks being sent their way, thankful for the effective change of subject.

“I thought we didn’t know the gender yet?” Yoshino asked, leaning forward.

“We found out the night before Shika left. We were gonna announce it as soon as he got back.”

“Well, you’re back, so announce it,” Shikaku prompted.

Mayu looked at Shikamaru, who motioned for her to continue. She put a hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. “Mom, dad, say hello to your granddaughter, Nara Shikari.”

There was silence around the table for a split second, and then Yoshino burst into tears. Shikaku’s smile was uncharacteristically wide as he wrapped his arm around his sobbing wife and even Ensui’s face had softened.

“Shikari, huh?” Shikaku said. “That’s a good name.”

“A girl! Oh, Mayu, Shikamaru, how wonderful,” Yoshino said past her sniffles.

Shikamaru’s palm slid over the hand she had on her stomach and he laced his fingers through hers. She glanced at him and he leaned in to give her a soft kiss before tuning into Yoshino’s diatribe about the nursery she and Shikaku were going to build them.

“What do you think? Pink?”

Shikamaru wrinkled his nose and Mayu laughed, giddy now that the dreaded confrontations were done. “I don’t know. What about yellow?”

Yoshino tapped her lip in thought and Mayu laid her head on Shikamaru’s shoulder. “Yellow is a good color. We could do accents of white and grey. Maybe some dark purple here and there? What do you think, Shikaku?”

He shrugged. “Sure. I’ve got plenty of time these days to take on projects.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table at the reminder that he’d resigned from his post. “Papa...are you really going to retire?”

Shikaku’s lips turned up on one side. “From the position of Jounin Commander? Yes.”

Mayu opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop her. Mayu didn’t miss the way both Ensui and Yoshino seemed unbothered - they had probably all talked this through at some earlier point - but Shikamaru was tense under her.

“Mayu. I’ve been an active shinobi for over thirty years. I think it’s time to step down and let somebody from the younger generation take over.”

“But - but what will you do?”

His laugh was low and rich. “Hopefully, catch up on lost sleep.” He looked up and sighed at her stricken expression. “Stop making those faces, you two. This is not your fault - either of yours. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. This situation just sped up the process.”

“So you’re not upset?”

“Nah. I’ll still be running the clan for another half a decade or so, at least - I know neither of you is in a rush to take that over. I also agreed to act as a sometimes advisor for Itachi-sama.” He looked down at the table and tapped his fingers on it and Mayu realized that he looked  _nervous._  It was a strange expression to see on him.

“I also heard there might be an opening for a pretty prime job coming up.”

Mayu leaned forward and Shikamaru made a low sound of interest. “Really? What kind of job?”

Yoshino was smiling and Ensui chuckled. Mayu’s brow furrowed and her gaze darted between them. “What are we missing?”

“Well, Shikamaru mentioned a few weeks ago that he was worried about finding suitable childcare when you both went back to work after the baby comes. I figure as the kid’s grandpa, you might be willing to consider letting me fill the position.”

Mayu’s jaw dropped. “You want to be our nanny?”

Ensui laughed and Shikaku sighed. “I mean, I think we can just call me her grandpa and leave it at that.”

Mayu looked over at Shikamaru, whose expression had gone contemplative. “You don’t think you’d be bored?” he asked.

Shikaku shook his head. “I always regretted how much I had to miss when you were younger. I think I’d like to spend a few years concentrating on family.”

“I’ll be reducing my hours at work so I can help, too,” Yoshino added.

Mayu leaned against Shikamaru, too stunned to come up with a proper reply. She had come to terms with the fact that the trade-off to their careers was having to accept that a nanny would be responsible for a good portion of the raising of their child. That didn’t mean she was exactly in love with the idea, but life was full of compromises and she hadn’t come up with a way around this one, yet.

This changed things, though, and for the better. Knowing that it was Shikaku and Yoshino caring for their peanut when they couldn’t lifted a huge weight from her chest, and, she assumed, Shikamaru’s.

“You two...are you sure?” she asked when she realized that Shikamaru was still shocked into silence.

Shikaku nodded. “I am. I’d be honored, actually.”

Mayu blinked rapidly to try and stem her tears and Shikamaru shifted. His voice was rough when he spoke. “Mom, dad...thank you.”

Yoshino reached across the table and Shikamaru leaned forward so he could wrap his hand around her own, though he kept one arm around Mayu.

“You don’t have to thank us. We  _want_ to do this. We just...we’re so excited. We’ve been talking about retiring from active duty for a while now, and when Mayu got pregnant we decided that we didn’t want to miss out on a moment of it. As long as you’ll have us, of course.”

“Of course, we’ll have you. I can’t think of anybody we’d trust more with Shikari.”

Mayu nodded rapidly but couldn’t really speak through the lump forming in her throat. Shikaku cleared his throat and stood and Yoshino pulled her hand out of Shikamaru’s so she could wipe at her eyes.

“Well, then. I suppose we should set up a nursery in our house, as well. One of you will have to give up your room,” Yoshino said in a no-nonsense tone, obviously trying to move past the strong emotions permeating the room.

“Mine,” Mayu said.

Shikamaru’s room had more of their joint memories in it, after all. Her cheeks went red when she thought about a few of those memories. They’d discovered the amazing art of frottage on his bed and spent many long afternoons perfecting it there, too.

Ensui snickered as Shikaku raised an eyebrow at her blush and Mayu sniffed and put her nose in the air. Yoshino rolled her eyes. “Well, I was trying to find something to make for breakfast, but your fridge is empty. Don’t you ever go shopping? Why don’t you come over to our house and I’ll whip something up? We’ll celebrate your picking out a name for the baby.”

“Can I invite Kiba and my team? And, uh, my old team? And Torii!”

“I guess I should invite Ino and Chouji, too,” Shikamaru added.

“Of course. Shikaku, Ensui, you’ll need to go shopping. I’ll make a list.”

Ensui groaned. “Come on, Yoshino -” he cut off and slumped when she sent him a quelling look.

“Fine,” he muttered and stood, looking more like a petulant teenager than a middle-aged shinobi that struck fear into the hearts of his enemies on a near-daily basis. “I just want to state for the record that it’s  _bullshit_ that I’m gay, but still end up getting bossed around by Nara women.”

Yoshino rolled her eyes and headed in the direction of the office to get some paper and a pen. “Noted.”

Mayu turned her face into Shikamaru’s shoulder to hide her laugh. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

000

“I hate being pregnant,” Mayu moaned.

“I know, baby,” Shikamaru said in a low, soothing tone and she glared at him. She knew he found her stupid, bladder-pressing, lower-back-killing, ankle-crushing baby bump  _cute._ The traitor.

He ignored her ire and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’ll rub your feet when we get home tonight, alright?”

She stuck out her lower lip. “And my back?”

“And your back,” he agreed easily.

Mayu looked up at him hopefully. “And you’ll get those noodles I like from the place?”

His half smile at her pushing made her cheeks warm and she wondered if she could convince him to participate in a quicky in her office before he left her to start his own day. “Of course I will. I’ll get you some more of those chocolates you like so much, too.”

Mayu sniffed. “I guess that would be okay.”

He chuckled and reached out to open the door to the MPF for her. “Just okay?”

“Nothing will be better than okay until your daughter exits my uterus.” A passing officer hid a laugh behind his fist, then found something across the room he absolutely had to check on when she sent him a scathing glare. “There is nothing funny about being six months pregnant,” she grumbled.

“How come she’s only my daughter when she’s making you miserable?” Shikamaru teased and she huffed. He leaned over and put his lips to her ear. “I seem to remember you thinking that thing I did with my tongue last night was more than just ‘okay.’”

Mayu swallowed as heat pooled in her stomach. Thirty seconds later she had him shoved up against the closed door of her office, tongue running along his as she tugged at his belt.

He turned his face away to break their kiss. “Mayu, baby, we can’t -”

“It’s okay. I activated the privacy seals and locked the door.”

She made a triumphant noise as she got his pants open and he thunked his head back against the wood of the door and moaned when she got her hand wrapped around him. “That’s not the - oh  _fuck_  - the point, sweetheart. Fugaku will kill me if he finds out we -”

He went up on his toes when she twisted her hand just so and leaned up to flick her tongue against the shell of his ear. “So you’re saying if I get down on my hands and knees, right now, you won’t fuck me?” she whispered before leaning back.

He sent her a half-hearted glare and she grinned. “You started it.” She stepped back and turned around.

When she lowered herself to her knees it was with a lot less grace than she usually would. If the expression he had on his face when she glanced back at him over her shoulder was any indication, he didn’t mind that her movements were more clumsy than they would have been a few months ago.

Her palms had barely touched the rough carpet before he was kneeling behind her. “This is a terrible idea,” he said even as his hands smoothed over her hips and his fingers crept up to the band of her pants.

Mayu had to hand it to maternity pants - those elastic bands made it easy for him to tug them down over her butt and down her thighs. She shivered when two of his fingers pushed into her.

“God, baby, how are you already so wet for me?”

“Less talking, more humping,” she demanded and his chuckle was breathless.

He took her words to heart, though, because he shuffled forward, knees bracketing her legs, and a moment later he was sliding into her. She moaned and leaned down to put her forehead on the back of her hands. Pregnancy might suck, but the hormones did some interesting things to her libido.

Case in point: risking Shikamaru’s life and any chance that she’d one day be freed from filing hell by letting him fuck her in her office. Pleasure twisted in her stomach and snaked its way up her spine when he pulled out and gently pushed back into her.

“Harder,” she demanded and he made a low sound in the back of his throat.

He adjusted his grip on her hips, then tugged her back onto him as he snapped his hips forward. And  _yes,_ that was what she’d been hoping for. She arched her back and pressed back against him eagerly.

“You’re so hot like this, baby. I can’t believe you’re letting me do this to you while all your coworkers are right outside the door. God, you feel so good,” he gritted out, then moaned when she tightened her muscles around him in response to his words.

After that, the breaks came off and she did her best to keep up with his movements as he began thrusting into her in earnest. The sound of their flesh slapping together paired with the filthy things he was saying (he always did enjoy semi-public sex, even if they didn’t generally risk it) filled the room and it only took a few minutes before she was clamping around him in one of the more intense orgasms she could remember having in recent history.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted as he thrust against her erratically. She whimpered when he stiffened and came after choking out what might have been her name. 

She was still trying to catch her breath when there was a knock on the door. “Mayu-taicho? Are you in there?”

Mayu’s eyes widened and she scrambled to get out from under Shikamaru, who made a low, sad sound when the sudden movement separated them. She swayed when she stood too quickly and Shikamaru shot up so that he could steady her with a hand on her arm.

“Crap,” she muttered, waddling awkwardly to her desk with her pants around her thighs and yanking open a drawer.

She dug around frantically and made a triumphant sound when her fingers wrapped around a pack of wet wipes. Shikamaru was watching her with open amusement and she glared while she tugged out a handful of them and tossed them at him.

“These should take care of the, uh, smell, too,” she muttered and wrinkled her nose as she quickly wiped herself off and then tossed the dirty wipes into her trash can.

Less than a minute later their clothes were back in place and they were as clean as they could get. Shikamaru seemed to be having some trouble wiping the self-satisfied expression off his face and Mayu smacked his arm lightly, ignoring his protest.

“Stop looking like you just got laid,” she hissed and sprayed a bit of air freshener she’d found shoved behind some scrolls on a shelf. “I can’t believe you seduced me at work!”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who seduced me, sweetheart.”

Mayu spun and pointed at him. “You’re the one who smiled at me and brought up the tongue thing. This is  _your fault._ ” She plastered a smile on her face before he could reply and pulled open her office door.

Junto’s hand was raised in the air as he prepared to knock again. “Hey, Junto. Sorry, I was making a shopping list for Shikamaru.”

She looked over at Shikamaru before Junto could reply. “So, if you get the groceries on the way home, that’d be great, honey...” she faltered when she spotted Fugaku standing with Dai a few feet away, deep in conversation about something. She waved when they glanced over at her and let out a breath of relief when they didn’t pause in their conversation.

“Yeah, no problem.” Shikamaru smiled (smugly) when he sidled past her, stopping long enough to drop a kiss on the top of her head. “Have fun filing.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. He, Shikaku, and Ensui never passed up a chance to bring up Fugaku’s still-ongoing punishment for ditching out on her duties. Two months and three epic, hormonal explosions from Mayu later and he was still burying her in filing and paperwork with no end in sight. The only bright spot in all of it was that she was only working six-hour shifts, four days a week in deference to her promise to take things easy, and half of that time was dedicated to working with the IIU.

“Bye, honey. Have fun training your staff,” she shot back with a bright smile.

His expression darkened at the reminder of his own pain. Itachi had decided to hire Shikamaru two subordinates to help him with his workload. He was not, to put it lightly, enjoying management.

One of the new hires was an older, sour man who was good at organization and getting department heads to give in to his demands and bad at taking direction from someone fifteen years his junior. The second was none other than the nephew of Shouta, Shikaku’s old assistant.

He was twenty-one and had just returned from a three-year stint working with the Allied Forces. His name was Sora and he was a bit of a genius when it came to diplomacy. Add in the contacts he’d made during the past few years and he was a good choice to assist with that aspect of Shikamaru’s duties.

Shikamaru admitted he was already an integral part of his team. The problem wasn’t his performance - it was his painfully obvious, enormous crush on Shikamaru. Sora couldn’t get through a conversation with him without turning bright red and devolving into stutters. Shikamaru had resorted to communicating with him via memo and his assistant.

Not even parading Mayu’s pregnant self in front of him seemed to cool Sora’s admiration for Shikamaru. Mayu thought it was kinda cute, really. He never actually hit on Shikamaru or otherwise acted inappropriate, he was just kind of hopelessly and obviously infatuated with him. Honestly, it wasn’t like she could blame the guy. Shikamaru was pretty dreamy.

She gave Shikamaru a finger-wave before turning to Junto and attempted to look less flustered and sexually satisfied than she was feeling. “What’s up?”

“We were called out on a case this morning. Akito-san sent me to let you know all of the evidence is in the usual conference room.”

Mayu’s mood, already pretty good from the earth-shattering orgasm she’d had not ten minutes before, brightened. “Really? Is it a murder?”

Junto had stopped looking shocked by her enthusiasm for horrible crimes months ago, so he just shook his head. “Theft.”

Mayu sighed. “Well, I guess you can’t have everything.” She smoothed her hands down the sides of her pants. “I’ll meet you there in five minutes.” 

He nodded and they separated, her to go to the bathroom and him to go let Akito know he’d found her. She took some extra time to clean herself up properly and admire the faint red marks Shikamaru had left on her hips, then made her way to the conference room. Fugaku stopped her just outside the door.

“Mayu. Are you feeling well? You looked flushed earlier.”

She froze. “Uh. Yeah. Just, you know, hormones, heat flashes. The usual.”

Fugaku nodded, though he didn’t look convinced. “Alright. When you’re done with your team, there are a few boxes of archived case files I want you to go through and organize in my office.”

Mayu slumped and her voice came out sounding sullen even to herself. “Yes, shishou.”

The case ended up being fairly open and shut. It’d been passed to her team because a merchant had accused the shinobi he’d hired from Konoha of stealing his wares. After sending her team out to interview a few people and ask some pointed questions about the merchant’s recent remarriage, they figured out it was the stepkids.

“Boring,” Mayu muttered as she plopped down in her chair and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. She still had three hours of her day left and she knew she was going to spend it looking through files.

“Mayu!”

“No,” she moaned under her breath and Luto snickered.

She lifted her head and waved weakly at Yoshino, who was holding a bright blue folder and weaving her way through the desks in the bullpen. Shikaku slouched along behind her and Mayu perked up when she saw the bento in his hand. At least they would serve her some lunch along with a healthy dose of misery.

“Mayu-chan,” Yoshino said again when she reached her desk. She flashed a smile at Luto. “Hello, Luto-san, how are you?”

“I’m good, Nara-sama. You bring more nursery stuff for Mayu to look at?” he asked a little too eagerly and Yoshino’s smile widened. Shikaku and Mayu exchanged despairing looks.

“Luto, don’t you have a report you’re supposed to be writing?”

“Sure thing, Mayu-taicho. I’ll leave you to your color swatches.”

Shikaku set the food down on Mayu’s desk and pushed it in front of her. She sighed and reached for it, giving in to the inevitable as Yoshino whipped out four different samples of paint that looked practically identical to Mayu.

“Here, I’ve narrowed down the purple to one of these four.” Mayu shoved a large bite of tempura into her mouth and nodded, mind already wandering.

“At first, I was convinced that number two, purpacious plum, was the winner. But the guy at the paint store insisted that amethyst would really pop. But, I don’t know, these other two are nice, as well, and I’m not really sure that we want things to  _pop,_ shouldn’t it be soothing?”

Mayu blinked rapidly. “Uh.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right. Amethyst is just too much. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Mayu glanced at Shikaku, but his eyes were glazed and she was fairly certain he was sleeping standing up and with his eyes open. She took another desperate bite of food when Yoshino started laying out fabric samples for curtains in front of her.

“...have you gotten Akinobu to tell you what color the crib will be? It’s kind of difficult to figure out how we’re going to decorate the rest of the room without knowing. Of course, we could always paint it...”

Mayu choked on a green bean as she imagined the epic explosion that would result if they dared to paint Akinobu’s masterpiece. It was like Yoshino had lost all sense of reality after they’d announced the gender.

Mayu pushed her food to the side and rested her forehead on the desk as Yoshino went on and  _on_ about the pros and cons of crochet. “Mom.  _Mom._ I have to go back to work.”

Yoshino blinked at Mayu, then looked over at her empty lunch box. If she noticed the wide berth the rest of the people in the room were giving them, she didn’t let it show. “Oh! Of course. So you agree, then? The plum trim, and the yellow and white lace curtains?”

“Yep. Yes, that sounds great, mom.” Mayu stood and started shoving cloth and paint samples back into the notebook.

“Are you sure, because -”

“Positive. You’re doing great. This nursery is going to be the best nursery ever.”

She’d only made the mistake of saying  _Mom, Shikari is going to be an infant, I doubt she’ll care about color combinations!_ once. You’d think Yoshino was the one whose hormones were turning her into a walking natural disaster with the dramatic way she’d reacted. Mayu shivered at the memory.

“You really think so?”

“Uh-huh. All the other babies will be jealous.”

Mayu had just about succeeded in herding them out the doors when they opened and Yuhui stepped inside. She looked gorgeous, of course, with her long slim build and dark, perfect hair and the lack of weird, swollen areas. Mayu glanced down at the flak jacket she’d had to go a size up in and her not-very-stylish maternity pants and stuck out her lip.

“Yuhui, hello! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

Yuhui’s smile was small but genuine as she returned Yoshino’s greeting. “Nara-sama, Yoshino-sama, it’s good to see you.”

Shikaku came out of his decorating hell daze and nodded to her. “Hey, Yuhui-san.”

Mayu looked up at the ceiling when she realized her goal of getting her parents out the door in the next five seconds was going up in flames. No way would they blow off the wife of another clan head. “How is Sasuke? Is he settling into his role of jounin commander?”

“He is, thanks to your guidance, Nara-sama.”

Shikaku rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “The kid barely needed any direction, really. He’s a natural.”

Mayu shifted and decided it was time to break out the pregnancy card. “Mom, dad, sorry to cut this short but I need to take a trip to the bathroom before I help Fugaku-shishou with some stuff. Yuhui, will you swing by my office sometime this afternoon? I have a question about an arrest some of your guys helped Dai’s team with last week.”

Yuhui glanced at her. “Of course, Mayu-san.”

Mayu accepted hugs from Yoshino and Shikaku before heading off for the bathroom. She really  _did_ need to go.

The rest of the day was spent sulking over boxes of files and sending Fugaku sad looks, which he ignored with the ease of long practice. She took a break to go talk to (harass) Torii, and on her way back stopped by Junto’s desk.

He looked up warily from the report he’d been making his final adjustments on. “Hey, Junto. You ready for me to read through that?”

“Just about, Mayu-taicho.”

She drummed her fingers on the desk as he went back to calmly reading through the pages. Her eyes narrowed. “How was lunch with Sakura?”

He jerked, just enough to let her know she’d been right. “Why do you think I had lunch with Sakura?”

“You’ve got strands of pink hair on your shoulder. Kinda a giveaway.” She glanced down and decided not to mention he also had some of the same hair attached to the front of his pants. Looked like Junto had an active lunch break.

She grinned when his cheeks pinked and leaned forward. “So. You two are getting serious, huh?”

“Here.” He shoved the report at her and stood. “I need to go pack up the evidence from this morning’s case.”

Mayu snickered as he took off, then put a hand to the small of her back in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure there. “I don’t know why you insist on picking on him,” Akito said.

Mayu shrugged. “He’s just so adorable, you know?” She tugged lightly on Hinata’s hair as she passed her, ignoring Akito’s mumbled reply of, “he’s an elite shinobi, he’s not  _adorable.”_

When she finally escaped from archives Shikaku was sitting on the wall across the street, eyes closed. “Papa,” she said when she was standing in front of him and he slit his eyes open.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He stretched and yawned before hopping down and landing next to her. “Fugaku take it easy on you today?”

“No,” she mumbled. “I think he would have let me off the hook by now, but since Itachi-sama said it was his punishment, too, he feels compelled to continue making us both miserable.”

Shikaku chuckled as they started weaving their way through the crowds towards the Nara compound. Mayu glanced over at his slouched form and chewed on her lip. “How are you?” she asked in a careful voice and smiled sheepishly at the amused look he sent her.

“I assume you’re wondering if I’ve fallen into a horrible depression now that Sasuke’s proven he’s a more than capable Jounin Commander?”

Mayu shrugged and he put his arm around her shoulders and tugged her in for a half-hug. “Nah. Honestly, I’m enjoying the time off. Well, outside of the time I spend in home improvement stores with your mother.”

Mayu laughed and relaxed. He seemed to be telling the truth and she figured if he got bored it would be easy enough for him to find something to occupy his time with. It wasn’t like anybody would turn down his assistance if he offered it.

She’d barely stepped into her house and had only gotten as far as removing her flak jacket and belt when there was a knock on the door. She opened it and was surprised to see Kiba and Rika standing on her porch. Rika smiled and stepped forward to hug her.

“Sempai! What are you doing here? Hey, Kiba.”

“Mayu, you’ve gotten bigger since I saw you last week.” She glared at him when he reached out and patted her belly. “Hey Ri-chan,” he cooed.

“It’s so weird that people stop and talk to my  _stomach,”_ she muttered but didn’t protest when Kiba grabbed her arm and gently pulled her out of the house and into the front yard.

“Yeah, yeah, next time you decide to let yourself get kidnapped and drugged, just stop and think about this.”

“Are people ever going to let that go?”

Rika patted her on the shoulder in sympathy when Kiba said, “Nope. Now stop complaining and come look at the thing Rika made you.”

Mayu’s gaze landed on a large wooden crate sitting in her yard. Akamaru was laying next to it, panting in a way that told her he’d been partially responsible for carrying it.

Mayu straightened and sped up her steps. “Oh, you brought me something? What is it?”

Rika’s dimples made an appearance when she smiled at her and Kiba stumbled over his feet when he got distracted by her cuteness. “Smooth,” Mayu said.

“It’s from all of us at the woodshop - it was a joint effort.”

Mayu bounced up on her toes when Kiba started prying the crate open. When the sides finally fell to the ground with a loud  _thump,_ barely missing Akamaru as he yelped and dodged out of the way, Mayu let out a squeal that had Kiba rubbing at his ears. It was the puppet she’d created a schematic for on the night Akinobu had taken her out for noodles and told her about Leiko.

“That - that’s my new puppet design!” She turned and flung her arms around Rika. “I didn’t think I’d get to actually make it for  _months._ Thank you, Rika-sempai.”

Mayu stepped back from the hug and darted over to the puppet. She ran a reverent hand over the soft, almost-white chakra-conductive wood. It was sanded so smooth it felt like glass under her fingers. The metal parts of it were gleaming in the sunlight and Mayu could see Rika’s expert hand in the angles.

Kiba was gaping at the large puppet and Akamaru was huddled behind his legs making small, distressed noises. The ninken never did warm up to Mayu’s puppets. “And I thought your spiders were terrifying.”

“Can you use your chakra threads to test it out? Or will it be bad for the baby?” Rika looked almost as excited as Mayu was feeling.

Mayu flexed her fingers. “I can use chakra, I just need to keep my reserves above half. Actually, Sakura says it’s good for the baby to use it in small amounts.”

She frowned and walked around the puppet before sending out ten strings and attaching them to various places. “Let’s see,” she mumbled. It always took a few days to get used to a new puppet, but she managed to get it to rise into a standing position.

Kiba’s face had gone white as he stared up at the large insect, which was about seven feet tall at the head.

“Is that a praying mantis?” Mayu tore her gaze from the long lines of her gorgeous new baby to look at Shikamaru, who was standing at their gate, eyebrows almost to his hairline and hands shoved in his pockets.

“Yep! Isn’t she beautiful?”

Shikamaru eyed the two-foot long blades that made up the puppet's front limbs and the delicate holes drilled in a line down either side of its neck that she knew would expel senbon after she got around to arming it.

“Here, I think...” she fed a bit of chakra into a mechanism she knew was in its lower back and Kiba screamed and jumped back when thin, bladed wings flared out on either side of its body.

Where Akamaru had been standing there was now only a cloud of dust and she caught a glimpse of white as he hurtled around the back of the house. Mayu beamed at the proof of her puppet's awesomeness. “I’m going to make the wings poisonous!”

Shikamaru chuckled and sauntered over to kiss her cheek, then nodded hello at Rika. “Your work, I’m guessing?”

Rika shrugged. “Well, Mayu did the designs, of course, but we all decided to build it for her as an early present. We didn’t want to wait for the baby shower to give it to her, though.”

Mayu carefully set the puppet into a rest position, then hugged Rika again. “This is the coolest baby shower present  _ever._  Way better than diapers. Thank you so much. I’ll stop by tomorrow to thank everybody in person.”

Shikamaru cleared his throat and she sighed. “From the doorway - I’ll stay out of the shop.”

000

Mayu was sitting at the table the next morning staring blearily down at the fruit and yogurt Shikamaru had set in front of her when Kiba burst into their kitchen. Mayu looked down at the t-shirt and panties she was wearing - today was her day off - then shrugged and took a bite of her breakfast.

Shikamaru darted out of the room and returned with a blanket. Her hair blew into her face from the wind he created with the speed in which he wrapped it around her. “I don’t think Kiba is interested in my swollen ankles and white cotton underwear,” she muttered and ignored his glare.

Kiba was practically vibrating in place. Mayu eyed his messy hair and the bags under his eyes as she attempted to wipe yogurt out of a hunk of her hair. How had that happened?

“I’m an uncle!” he declared.

Mayu’s eyes widened. “Hana had the babies? Seriously?”

Kiba nodded. “Yep. She was in labor for ten hours; I’ve been at the hospital all night. Go get dressed so you can come see them. They’re the cutest.”

Mayu stood and ignored Shikamaru’s distressed noise when the blanket fell to her feet when she hugged Kiba. “Yay! Okay. Um, I’ll just be a second.”

Mayu went up the stairs as quickly as she could and pulled on yesterday’s pants and one of the many larger blouses Yoshino had started sneakily hanging up in her closet. Shikamaru walked with them to the hospital, listening as Mayu peppered Kiba with questions.

They’d had two boys (they’d decided to keep the gender a surprise, so this was exciting news), and had settled on the names Touma and Toru. Everything had gone smoothly, though Kiba admitted that he had heard a lot of screaming and threats to Itachi’s person from the waiting room.

Shikamaru looked appropriately nervous at this information, though Mayu was just resigned. She’d done enough research into the whole childbirth process to know just how painful and _not_ beautiful it was.

The large private room was full of Uchiha and Inuzuka when they got there. Sasuke and Yuhui were each holding a little blue bundle in their arms and talking in low tones to Hana, who was sitting up in the hospital bed looking tired but happy. Itachi was in a chair next to her, holding her hand and looking the happiest Mayu had ever seen him.

Mayu sidled in next to Fugaku and Mikoto and put her arm around Chiasa, who looked half asleep. “Skipping school, squirt?”

“Mayu-nee!” Chiasa said and turned to hug her. “Do you want to see my nephews? They’re so cute! Itachi-nii said I could teach them how to make chakra threads when they’re older since I’m already so good at them,” she announced proudly. “I can already make the beetle you gave me for my birthday fly.”

Mayu grinned. “That’s awesome. You’re going to be a master puppeteer before you know it.”

Fugaku raised an eyebrow at her and she sent him her most innocent smile. She thought a puppet-wielding Uchiha would be pretty cool, and  _three_ puppet-wielding Uchiha would be even better. Suna could eat their hearts out.

Mayu was pulled from her musings when Sasuke motioned her over. “This is Touma,” he said in a soft, reverent tone.

Mayu took the infant, which looked a lot like Chiasa had on her first day of life. That is, misshapen and an odd color but still weirdly cute. Next to her, Shikamaru was accepting Toru and from his soft expression, she knew he was thinking about when they’d get to hold their little peanut for the first time.

Mayu stared down at Touma and she realized that it really was just a few months away. She glanced over at Hana and sidled closer to her. “On a scale of 1 to 10 -”

“One hundred,” Hana said in a flat tone and Mayu winced.

Yep, childbirth was going to suck. Then Hana smiled and reached out to run a finger down Touma’s cheek. “It feels pretty worth it right now, though.”

Mayu was about to offer to return the little bundle of joy to its mother when Shisui appeared next to her and made grabby hands. “Hand over my godson, Nara.”

She rolled her eyes, but after a glance at Hana to make sure it was okay, she gently placed Touma in his arms. Hinata now had Toru and Shikamaru was leaning over to talk to Itachi.

“Hokage-sama. Naruto, Sasuke and I can handle just about anything that comes up in the next few days while you take some time with your family.” Sasuke grunted his agreement from across the room.

Itachi hesitated, but then Hana put her hand on his arm and sent him a pleading look and he let out a small breath before smiling at her, eyes soft. “Alright. Thank you, Shikamaru, Sasuke. I appreciate it."

Mayu clasped her hands together. “Hey, do you guys need any help, because I could -”

“No,” half a dozen people said at once and Mayu crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

“Mayu, baby, it’s your day off. You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“Boring,” she muttered but leaned against Shikamaru when he slipped an arm around her and didn’t argue the point. “I guess I can play around with my new puppet. I need to name her.”

“You have a new puppet? Can I come see it? Is it a spider?”

Mayu’s annoyance faded and she looked over at Chiasa, who was practically vibrating with excitement. “If your mom doesn’t mind, sure.”

They both cheered when Mikoto nodded.

000

“Sasuke.” He looked up at Mayu from where he was frowning down at a file on his desk. It was strange, seeing him behind the desk that Shikaku had sat behind for so many years, but she was growing more and more used to it.

“Mayu. Shikamaru. Do you need something?”

She stepped inside and Shikamaru followed. “Yeah, do you have a second?”

He motioned them inside and Shikamaru closed the door behind them. Mayu waddled over to one of the chairs and sat down in it with a sigh of relief. At seven months pregnant, her cute bump had morphed into something that was roughly the size of a small planet. Shikamaru still insisted it was cute. Mayu thought it was unwieldy at best.

“Is everything okay?”

Mayu waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, I’m fine. We just needed to ask you something, but you keep canceling on our dinner plans.”

Sasuke raised a brow. “Well, I did just take over the running a good chunk of our forces.”

“Yeah, I know, you’re super important and busy, whatever.”

Sasuke put two fingers to his forehead. “Mayu, can you get to the point?”

Shikamaru touched her arm when she opened her mouth to say something snarky back to him and she sighed. She fidgeted in her chair for a moment before speaking. “Right. Okay. Well, we’ve talked about it, and we were wondering if you’d be interested in, uh. Being Shikari’s godfather.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened and he froze. “Hinata is the godmother, which, I don’t know if that means you would have joint custody or something if we both, you know, bit it, but...”

“I would have thought that you’d choose Yamanaka or Akimichi for the second godparent,” Sasuke said carefully, eyes on Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shrugged. “Well, there’s been a few disagreements about, uh...”

“My unwillingness to pop out babies on demand so that our spawn can create some sort of super-team twelve years down the line,” Mayu said flatly and Shikamaru winced.

“Right, that. Maybe the next kid -”

Mayu whipped her head around to glare at him and he backtracked in a rush of words. “I mean if we ever had a second one. Which we aren’t planning on right now.”

Sasuke held up a hand to gain their attention and cut off Mayu’s rant before it could begin. “I’d be honored.”

The annoyance fell off Mayu’s face and she beamed a smile at him. “Really?”

He rolled his eyes and picked up a pen. “You can’t think I would have said no.”

Mayu just shrugged. “Well, no, I guess not. I just wasn’t sure if you’d be, you know, excited about it.”

Sasuke just hummed noncommittally and she knew that meant ‘I’m super happy about this!’ in Sasuke-speak. Shikamaru stood and then helped her do the same. Being pregnant just kept getting suckier.

“Mayu.” She stopped and turned back towards Sasuke. His expression was almost vulnerable and he hesitated before continuing. “Why didn’t you choose Naruto?”

Mayu just shrugged and then smiled. “I don't know...I guess I think you’d do things kinda the way I would if, you know, me and Shika weren’t able to be around.”

The last thing she saw when they left the room was a small, genuine smile on Sasuke’s face. She glanced at Shikamaru and saw her thoughts reflected there. Yeah, they’d made the right choice.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikari makes her way into the world, and the Nara family is still adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for cheese

“Why do I just keep getting bigger? I know Ri-chan’s not actually the size of a record-breaking watermelon.”

She opened her mouth and Shikamaru immediately inserted a spoonful of pudding into it. She was laying on her side on the couch with her head in his lap, staring down at the huge lump that had once been her flat, maneuverable stomach.

The hand not in charge of ensuring that pudding was readily available was moving in a soothing circle between her shoulder blades. “Just under a month to go,” Shikamaru said as if that was somehow supposed to make her feel better instead of worse.

“Three weeks is a really long time to haul this stomach around,” she said mournfully after swallowing the thick, chocolatey goodness. She opened her mouth for more and made a sad sound when there was a delay while he leaned over to refill the spoon.

She glanced up at him after her pudding was delivered. He was staring down at her with a soft, dopey expression and she honestly did not know what he could possibly find cute about her at that moment. She was swollen _everywhere,_ moody, and hadn’t let him touch her in a naughty way in at least a week.

Mayu wondered if pregnant women emitted some sort of ‘love me’ pheromone to keep their mates complacent while they went off the deep end. If such a pheromone existed, maybe she could figure out how to, like, bottle it. Then every time Shikamaru got annoyed with her she could just spray it in his face and get cuddles instead of glares.

“I’m hot.”

Shikamaru shifted as he stuck the spoon into the bowl. “I’ll go get you some ice water -”

“No! I don’t want you to move, I’m comfortable.” She sniffled and stared up at him.

“Alright, sweetheart.” He brought his hands up and another Shikamaru popped into existence in front of her.

“Go get some ice water,” Shikamaru said and his shadow clone gave a determined nod, as though he’d just been told to go set up an ambush for enemy invaders.

“I want more pudding, too,” Mayu called after him.

“Of course, sweetheart,” the clone and Shikamaru said in tandem.

When Torii walked into the room ten minutes later he stopped abruptly in the doorway. Naruto smacked into his back, cutting off his greeting as he flailed and tried to catch his balance. Mayu ignored his judging expression as he took in the sight of Shikamaru feeding Mayu pudding while his clone rubbed her feet.

“You know, this isn’t even the weirdest thing I’ve walked in on you doing,” Torii said.

“You promised never to bring that up again,” Mayu mumbled around her pudding.

Naruto craned around him to see what was happening and laughed. “Hey, nice shadow clone, Shikamaru.”

He ignored him and kept his attention on Mayu. “I have to go into work, baby. Itachi and I are meeting with that contingent, they should be here soon.”

Mayu stuck her lip out but didn’t complain when he stood and slid a pillow under her head. “Can I keep the clone?”

“I did not agree to have a movie night with Shikamaru’s shadow clone.” Torii sent the glaring clone a disturbed look.

“But -!”

“Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m a last line of defense for Itachi in these meetings. I need my chakra back.”

“Fine. You’ll be back before midnight, though, right?”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll probably be back by ten.”

He nodded to Torii and Naruto and Mayu watched with sad eyes while the clone dispersed. Usually, when Shikamaru or Mayu made shadow clones at home it was for a more exciting reason than foot rubs. Her eyes glazed at the memories and she thought that she might just be able to muster up the energy for sex that night if Shikamaru agreed to bring his clone back.

“So,” Naruto said after Shikamaru had left. He was fiddling with the TV, putting on some movie about a swamp monster. Torii was setting out snacks on the table and avoiding Mayu’s gaze.

“So?”

“Notice anything different about us?”

Mayu blinked and brought her attention to them for the first time since they’d entered the room. She was pretty sure her eyes just about bugged out of her head when she realized what he was hinting at. She struggled up into a seated position.

“You - you got engaged!” She couldn’t believe she’d missed the bands on their fingers. Though in her defense she’d been focused on her misery and then on her thoughts of sexy Shikamaru-clone time.

“Two days ago,” Torii confirmed.

Mayu gaped at them. “What are you doing here, with me? Shouldn’t you be off having, like, crazy monkey sex?” She grabbed Torii’s arm and gave it a little shake. “Don’t take it for granted, Torii. You never know when some unexpected situation might rip your fantastic sex life from you - ”

“Mayu, I highly doubt I need to worry about getting impregnated. Besides, I know it hasn’t been that long. Last week you came into work with a hickey -”

“That’s right, Torii, a _week._ A whole week!”

“We wanted to be here,” Naruto cut in. “We know Shikamaru is worried about you being on your own.”

Mayu almost rolled her eyes, but then she made the mistake of looking over at his earnest expression. Ugh, how could she be annoyed at that face? “I...okay. Well. That’s really great. Congratulations, you two.” Naruto sent her a wide smile and Torii’s expression softened when he glanced over at him.

“So, who asked who? I see you both have a ring on...were you both carrying them around, ready to ask? That’s so cute.” Torii rolled his eyes as she answered her own questions and her heart swelled with an overabundance of goodwill when Naruto sat next to him on the couch and put his arm around his shoulders.

“I’m just so glad Torii finally found a good guy. Hayao treated you so horribly.” In a mood swing so sudden that it shocked even her, her eyes filled with tears.

Torii looked up at the ceiling and sighed. It was the third time he’d seen her tear up that week. The last time was because they witnessed a large squirrel swoop in and steal an acorn from one of its smaller brethren through his office window. The poor thing had just looked so devastated and hungry.  She’d only calmed down after Torii tossed a handful of chips out the window to the dejected rodent.

Naruto was nodding along, expression serious. “Don’t worry, Mayu, I’ll treat him right.”

“I know,” she said, voice wobbling. “He’ll treat you right too, and you’ll be so happy and...and...”

Torii put a hand to his forehead when Naruto’s eyes went wide and teary and he scooted closer to pull her into a hug so they could cry together.

“I cannot believe this is happening,” Torii muttered, but when Mayu looked over at him she could tell he was holding back a smile.

Two hours later they’d switched out swamp monsters for samurai (with judicious potty breaks for Mayu) and she was stretched out across the couch, legs and feet flopped over Torii and Naruto. Naruto had his arm slung across Torii’s shoulders and was yelling something at the screen.

Mayu shifted and gritted her teeth, unable to focus on the movie. The pain and pressure in her lower back had gotten worse in the last hour. She eyed Torii and debated asking him to give her a back rub. He was a medic, so it wasn’t weird, right? He glanced over and raised an eyebrow at her in question.

Deciding the time for having any shame ended around the time she stopped being able to see her feet, she opened her mouth to beg for a back rub. All that came out was a gasp when the pain sharpened and rippled outward. Her hand flew to her stomach and her muscles clenched as she rode out the discomfort.

“Mayu, are you alright?” Torii leaned over and put a hand on her arm.

A few seconds later the pain faded and she let out a low breath. “Um. Torii?” Her voice sounded small and scared. “It’s too early, right? I still have three weeks before my due date.”

“Wait, what?” Naruto yelped. “Are you in labor? Torii! What do we do?”

Torii pushed Naruto off the couch so he could slide out from under Mayu’s legs. He put a hand to her head. “Are you in pain?”

“My lower back hurts,” she admitted.

He spent a few minutes checking her vitals and looking generally medic-like while Mayu did her best not to fidget or freak out. Naruto hovered over him the entire time, asking frantic questions that only increased her anxiety level even when they confused her. What did which day of the week it was have to do with anything?

Torii finally sighed and looked over at him. “Naruto, go into the kitchen and make Mayu a cup of chamomile tea.”

“Tea! Right, yes, I can do that..” Naruto dashed away and Mayu sniffled as Torii focused back on her.

“You did that to get rid of him,” she said and he grinned and put a finger to his lips.

Mayu didn’t have a chance to reply before another cramp rippled through her, less painful than the last one. She made a low noise and met Torii’s gaze, which remained calm. It only lasted a short time before it subsided and she took a few minutes to pull herself together afterward.

“I don’t want this to happen yet.”

“It’s fine, Mayu. These could be false contractions. Perfectly normal.”

Mayu shook her head. “I don’t know, I’ve had those a few times and that felt different.”

Torii took her wrist in his hand to take her pulse. “Even if you’re going into labor, a few weeks early is usually just fine.”

Mayu’s blinked rapidly to try and hold back tears. “But - but I read that there can be developmental delays -”

“Mayu. I was born five weeks early. Do I seem delayed to you?”

She giggled before she could stop herself. “Depends on what you mean by - _oh!”_

Torii frowned and put a hand on her stomach as another cramp moved through her lower back and abdomen. Mayu tried to distract herself by breathing through it and counting. After thirty-five seconds it ended.

“It’s been, what, six minutes since the last one?” he asked.

She nodded. “Do you really think I’m going into labor?” Her voice came out shaky.

“Come on, I want you to walk around the room,” he said instead of answering.

She let him help her up and he put one arm around her and held her forearm in the other. “Okay, let’s get you away from the furniture.”

He led her to the space in front of the coffee table. She’d done about two laps around the couch when she felt a faint popping sensation inside of her. Mayu stopped abruptly. She ignored Torii’s question about what was wrong and frowned. A few moments later she felt it - a slow, trickling wetness between her legs.

“Um. Torii. My - I’m pretty sure my water just broke.” Their gazes met and for a long few seconds, she thought she might see her unflappable lieutenant panic for the first time, ever. Then he took a deep breath and his shoulders relaxed.

“Of course it did,” he muttered. “You couldn’t wait two more hours?”

“It’s not like I have any control over this!” she wailed.

“What? What is it? Why are we yelling?” Naruto yelled, bursting back into the room.

Torii sighed. “Naruto. Go turn off the stove. We’re going to the hospital.”

Naruto’s arms flailed and he turned to run back into the kitchen. His shoulder hit the doorframe and he spun around in place, almost losing his balance before dashing out of sight.

“Do you have a bag packed?” Torii asked in his low, soothing medic-voice.

Mayu sniffled and wrapped her arms around herself. “Y-yeah. It’s upstairs in our closet.”

“Naruto! Did you -”

“Yeah, I got it!” he called back and Mayu laughed wetly at the sound of his footsteps thundering up the stairs.

“I want Shikamaru,” she whispered.

Torii picked up her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll go get him after you’re settled in at the hospital.

“But he’s in that meeting -”

“I’ll go get him,” Torii said in a hard tone and her shoulders relaxed. If Torii said he’d get Shikamaru, then he meant it. She only hoped nobody was stupid enough to try and get in his way.

000

Shikamaru stared down at the revised trade agreement that Grass was proposing. It wasn’t bad, but he was kind of hoping they’d go down on the price per pound of wool once Konoha increased the amount of guaranteed spend. He made a note to talk to Sora about drafting up something to that effect to put forward tomorrow.

Well, he’d have his assistant talk to Sora about it. His pen left a deep, blotted furrow in the paper when the door flew open and he jumped in surprise. His other hand already had a kunai in it and he angled himself so that more of Itachi’s body was blocked by his own.

Torii was standing at the door, looking around the ANBU that had planted him or herself in front of him. Shikamaru met his gaze and stood, adrenaline hitting his system at his serious expression. All thoughts of wool and shiny-eyed subordinates flew from his mind.

“Mayu -”

“She’s in labor. She’s asking for you.”

His stomach felt like it was trying to launch itself out of his throat, and Shikamaru put his kunai into his pouch and turned to address the room. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I need to -”

“Go,” Itachi said and waved his hand. “We can finish up without you.”

Shikamaru didn’t bother to take in the reactions of the other people in the room, barely remembering to bow before he took off out the door, Torii falling into step with him to his right.

“How far along?”

“Contractions are about five minutes apart and her water broke. She’s still got awhile - she was at 2 centimeters when I left to get you.”

Shikamaru let out a breath of relief but didn’t shorten his strides. “It’s early,” he said after a pause.

Torii put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “It’s not uncommon for a kunoichi pregnancy. It’s not my area of expertise, of course, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.”

They got to the hospital a few minutes later and Shikamaru made his way towards the maternity ward. “Which room?”

“304. Turn left up ahead and it’s right there.”

Shikamaru stopped outside the door and took a deep, calming breath. He needed to put on a brave face for Mayu, no matter what. He could hear Naruto chattering away inside, so he assumed things weren’t in a state of emergency.

“...Torii’s agreed to take my last name and Kakashi offered to let us live in the Hatake house since you and Shikamaru moved out after you decided to stay in the Nara clan. He wants to sign the deed over to us, but I know you and Shikamaru did a lot of work on it, so maybe we could share it?”

Mayu’s voice was uncharacteristically subdued when she answered. “Of course, you should have it, Naruto. Shikamaru and I have our house in the Nara compound. I think it’s great that you’re going to be living there - Kakashi-sensei wants someone there, I think.”

“You two are engaged?” Shikamaru latched onto the distraction from his panic eagerly.

Torii’s lips quirked up. “Yeah, but we can talk about that later. Go in and be with your wife.”

Shikamaru nodded. “Will you go let my parents know what’s happening?”

Torii shrugged. “Why not? I love dealing with panicking Nara.”

Shikamaru snorted and pushed the door open all the way. “Thanks. And Torii - congratulations.”

Mayu was sitting on the hospital bed in a blue hospital gown, bare feet hanging over the edge. Naruto was in the chair next to her talking about fall weddings. Shikamaru could tell by the way her lips were pressed together and her shoulders were hunched that she was terrified, despite Naruto's obvious attempt to distract her.

Her hair was pulled back into a tiny little ponytail and her skin was pale under the harsh lighting of the room. She looked small in the baggy gown, even with the large swell of her stomach, and his throat tightened. He’d done some research of his own the past few months (Mayu wasn’t the only one who had made a stop at the bookstore), and all of the things that could go wrong were suddenly at the forefront of his mind. He was forced to push those thoughts back when Mayu looked up and spotted him.

“Shikamaru,” she choked out and held her hand out towards him.

He crossed the room in two long strides and pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay, sweetheart, I’m here.”

“I’m going to go tell Sasuke what’s happening,” Naruto said and Shikamaru could actually hear the bounce in his step as left the room.

He turned his face into her hair when she collapsed against him. They stood that way for a few more minutes until Mayu stiffened and let out a small gasp. He pulled back and took in her grimace of pain.

“Contraction?” he asked and helped her lay down when she nodded.

He grabbed her hand and counted in his head. Thirty seconds later she relaxed back against the bed and took a shuddering breath. He pushed a piece of hair that had fallen forward back and his heart gave a painful thump at the way she was staring up at him, eyes wide and trusting.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered.

Shikamaru leaned down and kissed her forehead. His chest was swelling with a sort of manly pride and a determination not to let her down. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have married such an amazing woman who looked at him with so much trust and adoration.

Seven hours later he wondered frantically where that woman had gone as Mayu screamed and clamped down on his hand so hard that his bones ground together. “I’ll never forgive you for this!” she sobbed.

“I know, baby, I’m sorry,” he said for probably the tenth time in as many minutes.

“You’re doing great, Mayu. You’re so close to being done,” Sakura said from her spot at the end of the bed, hidden by the sheet draped over Mayu’s legs.

Mayu ignored her in favor of glaring at Shikamaru. Her skin was a sickly pallor and covered in a sheen of sweat, and strands of her damp hair were plastered to her face. “She’s right, sweetheart. You’re doing so well.”

“Screw you, Shikamaru! You don’t even _know -”_ she sobbed as Sakura encouraged her to push and Shikamaru started breathing the way they’d been taught in their new parents class. The look Mayu shot him could have cut through steel, but she followed his example. A nurse fluttered up to her head as soon as the contraction ended and patted her forehead with a cloth.

“You’re never touching me again,” Mayu said and Shikamaru hunched his shoulders and nodded along, having learned quickly that agreeing was the best policy. “I don’t care how many - _ah -_ of your - your _freaky sex clones you make!”_

The nurse nearly dropped the cloth and the look she directed at Shikamaru was nothing short of scandalized. He was pretty sure he heard Sakura giggle, but then Mayu was screaming again and everything was just really loud and terrifying for a while.

Around the time he realized he could no longer feel his hand Shikamaru decided, yeah, he could certainly get behind never doing this again. Ever. The time for thinking ended, though, when Sakura announced she could see the head and Shikamaru’s first assassination mission had _nothing_ on the traumatic nature of the next few minutes.

When Mayu finally collapsed back against the bed and he heard the first wail of their daughter, he was shaking with adrenaline and nerves and his ears might have developed a permanent ring.

Mayu swallowed and her grip on him loosened minutely.  “Sakura,” she croaked. “Is - is she -?”

Shikamaru realized a few minutes have must have passed as his body and mind attempted to calm down and come to terms with his new reality because Sakura appeared next to them holding a squirming, crying creature. She was smiling and her eyes were bright with tears, but Shikamaru barely noticed her in favor of staring at what she was holding.

“She’s fine, Mayu. Here.” Shikamaru stood and helped Mayu sit up when he saw how hard she was trembling.

His throat tightened when Sakura lowered the baby into Mayu’s arms and he saw his daughter for the first time. She was purple and wrinkled and her face was screwed up into a truly impressive scowl as she announced just how unhappy she was with her new reality.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Shikamaru sat down on the bed and leaned forward as Mayu smiled down at her and brought her finger up to lightly trail it across her cheek. As Mayu crooned and Sakura reached out and helped her lower her gown so that Shikari was right up against her skin, the baby’s wails began to subside.

Shikamaru reached forward and added his hand under her back to offer extra support, fascinated by the way her tiny form fit into his palm. His breath caught in his chest and he was glad he was sitting down. The wave of fierce love and protectiveness that he felt looking down at her was almost painful in its intensity.

A few minutes later she was quiet and attempting to have her first meal. Mayu was blinking rapidly and looking just as floored as he felt and Sakura had bustled back to the end of the bed, doing god-knows-what kind of repair work to Mayu under the sheet. He’d only taken one peek down there after Sakura declared she could see the head and he deeply regretted it.

“Baby,” he whispered. “Look at her. She’s gorgeous.”

Mayu tore her eyes away from her to beam at him. Just like every other time she looked at him like that in their lives, he couldn’t resist his returning smile. “She really is,” she agreed.

He adjusted his position so that he was leaning against the pillows next to her. He lifted his arm and she shifted carefully to avoid disturbing their daughter (their _daughter)_ until she was pressed up against him. He kissed her sweaty hair and watched her as she looked back down at Shikari, as though she couldn’t pull her eyes from her. Shikamaru was fairly certain he’d never loved Mayu more than he did at that moment.

A few minutes later, after some cleanup and reassuring Mayu that everything looked fine, Sakura stepped outside the room to give them a moment of privacy. Mayu looked back up at him. “I didn’t think it was possible to love something this much,” she said solemnly.

Shikamaru cupped her cheek and put his forehead against hers. “I know.”

“I mean, I can see that right now she’s kind of squished and weird-looking,” Shikamaru made a low sound of protest in his throat, but she kept talking, “but I just think that she’s - that she’s beautiful. Everything is going to change now, isn’t it?”

She looked back down at Shikari and giggled when she saw she’d fallen asleep mid-meal. Shikamaru pulled her closer against him, ignoring the way his back was protesting at how awkwardly his body was twisted to stay balanced on the bed. “Yeah. But...not in a bad way.”

“No,” she agreed. “Not in a bad way.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, and if he sounded choked up, well, who could really blame him?

000

Ensui leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, staring down at the scuffed linoleum between his feet. The quiet conversation Kakashi was having with Hinata about transplanting doujutsu was both disturbing and kind of fascinating, but he was having trouble focusing on it.

Shikamaru hadn’t been out with an update for them on Mayu and the baby for over an hour. Not that they had much to worry about with Haruno Sakura personally handling the delivery, but he couldn’t banish the tightness in his shoulders. Especially since he’d been less than sweet to Mayu for the past few months.

When she’d taken off to rescue Shikamaru (and yeah, he could appreciate her sneaky, clever ways, when he wasn’t fuming over them), he’d been terrified. Shikaku hadn’t been much better and Yoshino had finally sat them down and given them a long speech about how clever their children were, and that Mayu and Shikamaru would come back more or less intact and they needed to have faith in them.

She’d been right, of course. That was her _thing,_ always being right, and it was no less annoying now than it had been when they were on a genin team together. Despite it all working out, Ensui had still been pissed off, mostly because she should have found a way to take him with her.

He sighed and leaned back in his seat. Kakashi’s large, warm hand fell on the back of his neck and squeezed and Ensui sent him a thankful look. He didn’t pause in his discussion with Hinata on chakra pathway burnout as he flicked a glance at Ensui and smiled at him.

God, the man was adorable with his drooping silver hair and ridiculous facial expressions. Ensui leaned over until he was pressing his weight against him and stretched his legs out in front of him. He met Shikaku’s gaze and saw his own stress reflected there. His big brother just shrugged at him, then winced when Yoshino grumbled as the motion disturbed her sleep.

She’d gone back to talk to Sakura for a while, and when she returned she’d seemed much more relaxed than she had been at first. After reassuring them that everything seemed fine and Mayu was ‘coming along,’ she’d promptly fallen asleep against Shikaku’s shoulder. Traitor.

Ensui distracted himself with the memory of Shikamaru’s progression from slightly-nervous-but-excited to scared-for-his-life throughout the night. Each time he came out with an update, he’d looked more and more shell-shocked.

Shikaku had clapped him on the shoulder the last time he’d been out and said, “You’ll get through it, son. Don’t take anything she says right now to heart, all right?”

When Shikamaru’s face had fallen and Shikaku pulled him across the room to hug him and murmur something into his hair, Ensui had felt a pang in his chest. It took him until Shikamaru had left to identify what he was feeling. Jealousy.

He and Eiji had talked about kids, of course. It was just a dream back then, a sort of ‘someday we’ll have them.’ Then he’d died and Ensui had tried his best not to think about it at all. He’d been too wrapped up in his grief when Yoshino was pregnant and Shikamaru was an infant to feel anything about it at the time, to his continued regret.

Then he’d found Kakashi, and sure, it’d crossed his mind once or twice, but Kakashi...he still woke up from nightmares in a cold sweat, Ensui or one of his students’ names on his lips. His partner’s biggest fear was loss, and Ensui knew that having a kid would only add to the terror exponentially. So, he hadn’t let himself think about it.

Now, however, as he sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair waiting for somebody to come out and announce the birth of his niece, he couldn’t deny that there was a sort of longing echoing through him. Not for the whole pregnancy and birth thing - god, no.

He knew it was a generally stressful affair, but with Mayu, it was doubly so. The girl just wasn’t suited to pregnancy, though he thought she’d make a strange, yes, but an amazing mother.  She always was a determined little thing once somebody she loved was added into the equation.

It was just...he saw the way Shikamaru softened when he looked at Mayu’s (huge) stomach or when somebody brought up his daughter. And Ensui wanted that. He wanted to have a little person that he loved more than anything, that depended on him and loved him back.

He glanced over at Kakashi, who seemed to have fallen asleep while Ensui brooded. Seeing him so relaxed and happy, Ensui knew he couldn’t ask this of him. He’d have to be happy in the role of uncle - and he’d be the best damn uncle that kid had, despite all the competition. They were probably too old to even be contemplating it, anyway.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sakura entered the room, tired but beaming. Ensui stood and Kakashi opened his eyes at the abrupt movement, relaxing when he caught sight of Sakura and her delighted expression. Shikaku shook Yoshino awake and he heard Naruto and Torii stirring on the other side of the waiting room where they’d been sprawled out across a few chairs sleeping in a tangle of limbs.

When Sakura was sure she had their attention she clasped her hands in front of her. “Congratulations. Nara Shikari was born at 3:23 am. She’s six pounds, ten ounces, and perfectly healthy.”

Yoshino made a sort of choking noise and Hinata dashed forward to hug Sakura. Shikaku was rubbing a hand down his face and Ensui took a deep breath and forced himself to tune into what Sakura was saying.

“...I’m giving them a moment to themselves and then I’m going to take Shikari back for a full exam, just to double check everything since she was a few weeks early. Mayu’s fine and you can go in to see her two at a time. I’ll have Shikari back within half an hour. Please keep the noise level down, as Mayu and Shikamaru aren’t the only expecting parents here today.”

Sakura left and nobody argued when Yoshino and Shikaku followed her to go first, probably hoping to sneak in a holding session before Sakura disappeared with Shikari. Ensui stood and paced, waving goodbye to Torii and Naruto, who said they’d come back in the morning to see the newest addition to the Nara clan after Mayu’d had a chance to rest.

“I’m sure nobody would say anything if you came with us on our turn, Hinata-chan,” Kakashi said cheerfully. “Mayu probably wants to see you before she falls asleep.”

Hinata, who had been chewing on her lip and looking indecisive, relaxed. “If - if you don’t mind, Ensui-san, Kakashi-sensei. I’d like to see her.”

Ensui just forced a small smile and nodded, mind elsewhere. It felt like forever, but was probably only about forty-five minutes later, that Yoshino and Shikaku appeared. Both of their eyes were wet and Ensui met Shikaku’s gaze.

He smiled ruefully. “She’s damn adorable, and she passed her physical with flying colors.”

The relief in the air was palpable. Then the three of them were heading for the room, following Yoshino’s directions. Kakashi put a hand on his arm and he glanced over at him. “You okay?”

Ensui’s lips turned up into a smile and he reached over and put his hand over Kakashi’s. “Yeah. Just, you know. It’s a lot. I remember when they were both ten and terrorizing the whole clan with Mayu’s dumb experiments.”

Kakashi chuckled and didn’t pull his hand away. “Yeah, I’ll never forget when she tried to set me on fire during her genin exam. She missed and got Naruto instead.”

Ensui was startled into laughter. “You never told me that part.”

“I was waiting for the right time,” Kakashi said with a jaunty shrug.

Some of the anxiety he’d been feeling faded with his laughter. Ensui knew his expression was giving away just how much he loved the man next to him, especially when Kakashi cleared his throat and looked away, cheeks just a little red. Hinata was laughing softly next to them, but she didn’t say anything.

When they entered the dim room Ensui paused in the doorway to take in the tableau in front of him. Mayu was propped up in the hospital bed, face drawn and tired, but her expression was soft in a way that he didn’t see from her too often, if ever. Her attention was focused on Shikamaru, who was sitting next to her holding what could only be Shikari in his arms.

Ensui was pretty sure he’d never seen them look closer or more in love, and that was saying something. Hinata made a small noise next to him and Mayu and Shikamaru tensed and looked over. Then Mayu was smiling at them and all three of them somehow ended up crowded around their bed.

“Oh, Mayu, she’s beautiful,” Hinata said.

“Here,” Shikamaru said and Hinata lit up as she carefully took the bundle from him.

Ensui edged closer to her as she rocked her. Shikari looked a lot like most newborns, red and wrinkly and a little vacant, but Ensui still felt like the air had been knocked from him at the sight of her.

Hinata looked up at him and her face softened into an understanding smile. “Here, Ensui-san. Hold her.”

He let Hinata set her into his arms and adjust his grip so he was cradling her just so. Ensui stared down into her blue-grey eyes, which were drooping in a very Nara-esque way. The thought made him grin and before he really knew what he was doing he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Damn, you’re cute,” he said down to her. He sounded besotted even to himself and he had to swallow past the sudden longing that hit him.

“Of course she is,” Mayu said in her smuggest tone and he rolled his eyes even as his smile widened.

He glanced over at Kakashi to ask if he wanted to hold her and faltered. He was studying Ensui with a strange expression, as though he was trying to work something out, or maybe like he’d just come to a startling realization. Then he was tilting his head in one of his fake eye-smiles and accepting Shikari from him.

They left soon after since both Shikamaru and Mayu looked like they were ten seconds away from passing out. They promised to come back the next day and then Ensui was being pounced upon by Yoshino, who was rattling off a list of things they needed to do so that Mayu and Shikamaru wouldn’t have to leave the house for a few days.

Ensui let her press a list of things he was expected to complete before ten am into his hand, distracting him from his own thoughts and from trying to figure out what Kakashi’s expression had been about in the hospital room. He’d never been so thankful for Yoshino pushing him around in his life.

000

Three days ago Mayu would never have believed that she could stay in practically the same spot, doing nothing but staring at and caring for another person, without being horribly bored.

Shikari was the opposite of dull, though. Every yawn, every noise, every failed attempt at breastfeeding (seriously, wasn’t that shit supposed to be _nature?_ Why was it so complicated?) felt like the most interesting thing to ever happen. Mayu adjusted her hold on Shikari so that she could grab the glass of water Shikamaru had brought upstairs for her and gulp it down.

Shikamaru leaned over her and kissed Shikari’s tiny, soft cheek and Mayu’s whole body did this sleepy, contented clench thing that had started happening with ridiculous frequency since they brought their baby home. Who would have thought domesticity would be so wonderful?

Shikari yawned and squirmed in Mayu’s arms, one little fist waving fruitlessly outside of the blanket wrapped loosely around her. Shikamaru made a low noise in the back of his throat, expression entranced as he reached out and took her hand gently between his thumb and forefinger.

“You’re going to give dad a heart attack if you keep being so cute,” Mayu said to Shikari and he flashed a smile at her.

The bags under his eyes matched her own deep ones, but for once a lack of sleep didn’t seem to put a damper on his mood. He pushed a lock of hair behind Mayu’s ear while letting Shikari continue to awkwardly grasp at his finger. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Mayu wrinkled her nose and leaned back against the pillows propping her up. “I’ve been stabbed, burned, beaten, and had parts of myself removed and felt less awful after,” she admitted. “But I’m better today.”

Shikamaru kissed her cheek. “I’ll go down and make you breakfast. You want anything special?”

Mayu hummed. “Lots of meat.”

He waggled his eyebrows and leered and she giggled. Shikari huffed at the sound before settling. “Alright. I’ll make you some herbal tea, too. Fruit?”

She nodded and he hesitated before getting out of bed, taking a moment to kiss the bit of soft, dark hair on Shikari’s head. Mayu thought about offering to go downstairs with him so he didn’t have to leave her behind, but she really was still feeling generally sore, and kind of needed a shower.

Shikari was falling into a light doze now that she’d eaten and Shikamaru had burped her and changed her (appallingly disgusting) diaper. Mayu shifted over until she was close enough to the bassinet that had been magically set up when they came back from the hospital to set her into it. Then she spent a few minutes staring at her perfect little toes and fingers before forcing herself to shuffle into the bathroom.

After a short shower she felt a little more human, and she could hear the sounds of breakfast being made and multiple voices drifting up the stairs. She wasn’t even surprised when Shikari was no longer in her bassinet when she exited the bathroom to get dressed.

By the time she made it to the kitchen, Shikamaru was putting a gigantic omelet onto a plate. Yoshino was sitting at the table holding Shikari, who was awake and showing off her limb flailing skills. Shikaku was leaning over her and holding one of her little feet between two fingers.

“So you’re the evil kidnappers,” she said and Yoshino had the grace to look guilty.

“She was awake already when I got there,” she defended and Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he brought the plate over and set it on the table.

“I was going to bring it up to you, sweetheart,” he said as she lowered herself into the chair with only a small wince. Sakura was a miracle worker. Mayu had been convinced she’d never sit comfortably again just two days ago.

She smiled up at him and let him kiss her. “It’s okay. I’m kinda ready to be up and about.”

Yoshino eyed her, probably taking in her color and whatever other things she used to decide if somebody was on the verge of death with just a look. “We could set up a blanket in the yard. It’s a nice day, and you should get some fresh air.”

Mayu just speared a piece of ham and shrugged. “Sure. Maybe I can work on those case files Fugaku-shishou sent for me to look at.” She brightened at the thought of fresh air, her family, _and_ crime solving.

She looked up and froze when she saw the three identical expressions of disapproval being sent her way. “What? They’re just some unsolved case files from Sand that Temari sent over for me to look at as an extra set of eyes. It’s not like I can get into any trouble when I’m all the way in Konoha,” she protested.

“Okay, that’s just creepy,” she mumbled when all of their faces morphed into matching masks of disbelief.

“I guess I could play my violin instead,” she finally conceded and suddenly everybody was all smiles again. Yep, creepy.

_Six Months Later_

Shikaku stepped into the building and stopped to adjust the sling strapped across his chest. He glanced down at it to make sure Shikari was still looking generally content before continuing to the stairs. He waved at the familiar faces he passed in the hallway. Even ten months after his retirement he was still well-known to most people in the administration building.

He showed up there often enough with an infant strapped to his chest that Shikari just got a few belly tickles and cooed greetings instead of the double takes that he’d garnered his first few months as a stay-at-home grandpa. She giggled when he added some extra bounce to his step on his way up the stairs and he grinned down at her.

She was chewing on a chubby fist and staring up at him, dark grey eyes bright and happy. “We’re going to go see your godfather and let him bitch at us about how whiney jounin are, yes we are,” he said down to her as he approached Sasuke’s office and she gurgled in response.

“Does Mayu know you swear in front of her?” Sasuke’s voice was wry and Shikaku stepped into the room and shrugged.

“You know she doesn’t care much about things like that. It’s Shikamaru you’ve got to watch out for.”

He lifted Shikari from the sling and handed her over to Sasuke, who accepted her with proper Uchiha solemnity. When she grabbed a hunk of his hair and tugged on it, his lips quirked up and he gently disentangled her fingers and let her latch onto his shirt instead.

“Also, I don’t bitch.” Shikaku just chuckled in response as he shoved the sling into his ever-present diaper bag.

Itachi had politely requested that he and Sasuke have a monthly meeting in which Shikaku offered his services as an advisor. Shikaku had read between the lines enough not to mind the extra task. There was some disgruntlement about Sasuke’s young age and if Shikaku showed his face and support once a month, it would go a long way towards shutting the naysayers up.

Sasuke, for his part, had taken it in stride and actually utilized the time to pick Shikaku’s brain. He handed over a pile of folders that had been sitting by his elbow. “These are the team formations I was thinking of adding to the rotation,” he offered, then turned his attention to tickling Shikari’s stomach.

Shikaku opened the first one and skimmed through it. “Another escort team?”

Sasuke glanced over at him and winced when he ended up with a finger in his nose. Shikari shrieked with laughter. “Yeah. Kiri and Cloud’s new push for tourism has increased travel, which means an increase in requests for escorts. Asuma-san suggested that we add in some all-jounin teams for some of the VIPs. Wealthy merchants, politicians - you know, people who either think they need the extra protection or who actually need the extra protection. Then we can call them Elite Protection Teams and charge more than we could usually get away with.”

Shikaku chuckled. “Smart.” He spent a few minutes looking over the rest of the files. “Looks good. Also, this time of year I used to try and keep a few search and rescue teams ready to go. Hurricanes and mudslides tend to wreak havoc along the coast.”

Sasuke hummed and attempted to make a note of it while Shikari swiped at the pen. At six months old, she could sit up on her own without too much extra support and took full advantage of the skill. When Sasuke sighed down at her she flailed and giggled at him, apparently finding his annoyance just as amusing as her mother did.

They went over a few other issues, including how to deal with Gai when he started getting too worked up during his favorite season of the year. “Send him on a long-term mission, or he’ll destroy half the village and drive Kakashi into doing something everybody else will regret,” Shikaku said solemnly.

“And Lee -?”

“Can go with him. Let them tire each other out.”

Shikaku accepted his granddaughter back after they said their goodbyes, waving Sasuke’s formal thanks off. He hesitated at the door. “You’re doing well, Sasuke-san. Both as the jounin commander and head of your clan. You’ve already done a lot of good.”

Sasuke’s eyes darted down to his desk in his version of a bashful look. “Thank you, Shikaku-sama. I appreciate that.”

Shikaku just shrugged, then headed down the hall towards Shikamaru’s office. He was sitting at his desk, frowning down at something and muttering about Naruto’s bleeding heart to Sora, whose crush, by all accounts, had cooled enough that they could now be in the same room.

Shikari caught sight of him and shrieked, and when he looked up and spotted them at the door the scowl was replaced by a small smile. He stood up and strode over to them, plucking Shikari out of Shikaku’s arms.

“Hi, baby. What are you doing here?” he asked after kissing her cheek.

She babbled incoherently at him while he stared down at her, his smile growing when she patted at his cheek with one hand and waved the other around in the air. Shikamaru glanced over at Shikaku.

“Hey, dad. You have a meeting with Itachi-sama or something?”

Shikaku nodded to Sora as he followed Shikamaru further into the room. He lifted Shikari from his hip as he sat in his desk chair, then gently placed her on his lap facing him and let her wrap her hands around his fingers.

“Nah. I had my monthly meeting with Sasuke.”

Shikamaru moved their joined hands around in a parody of a dance and hummed a little jig. Shikari giggled and bounced a few times and Shikamaru brought his attention back to Shikaku. Sora was standing across the room doing his best not to swoon at the display.

“How’s he doing?”

“Other than dealing with reports of Gai harassing the village in his celebration of the Springtime of Youth? Just fine.”

Shikamaru snorted. “Sounds about right. What are you two up to the rest of the day?”

“Well, we’re going to try and catch Mayu for lunch. Thought you might want to tag along.”

Shikamaru hesitated and eyed the pile of paperwork on his desk. Shikaku assumed he was about to get a short ‘can’t, I have to work,’ and a sigh of regret, but then Shikari giggled at something only she could understand and Shikamaru’s face softened.

“Yeah, alright.” They both ignored Sora’s distressed noise and aborted movement towards the paperwork. “I can take an hour.”

Shikamaru didn’t hand the baby back over when they headed out, keeping her on his hip. She cooed and grasped his flak jacket, tugging at one of the securely closed pockets and saying nonsense baby words that Shikaku was pretty sure boiled down to _oh my god, I’m hanging out with dad_ and _grandpa, life is awesome._

“Did Mayu ask you about Saturday night?” Shikamaru asked after stopping to let one of the chunin that manned the missions desk during the weekdays wiggle his finger at Shikari and greet her with a smile.

“She asked your mom if we’d take her. She’s already planning on inviting half her friends over to show her off. I’m planning on going out with Chouza and Inoichi until they’re gone.”

Shikamaru sighed and kissed Shikari’s forehead. “I feel bad, we already spend so much time away from her...”

Shikaku shrugged. “You do alright. Besides, if you tried to skip Naruto and Torii’s bachelor party you’d never hear the end of it.”

Shikamaru slumped. Shikaku tried not to laugh at him, but it was hard when he was so obviously wrapped around his daughter’s finger. The day before he’d been scheduled to go back to work after she was born, Shikaku had walked in on him writing a resignation letter with a slightly crazed expression on his face.

When Shikaku had pointed out that the Hokage wouldn’t just let him quit being a shinobi altogether, Shikamaru had ranted for a while about double standards and how mothers could resign from their duties without reprisal before laying his head down on the table and trying not to cry. He’d since admitted that he didn’t actually _want_ to quit his job (most of the time), but Shikaku knew it still pained him to spend so much time apart from her.

Mayu had an easier time with the transition, but Shikaku still had to practically push her out the door every morning. Not that he could blame them. His granddaughter was adorable.

They entered the MPF a few minutes later, chatting (complaining) about some work Shikamaru needed to do on their house. Mayu’s old team were huddled around Junto’s desk, talking in low, serious tones. Shikaku and Shikamaru headed for Mayu’s office and Shikari chose that moment to spot Hinata and let out a happy shriek. The whole team looked over and Hinata’s face lit up.

Junto’s shoulders slumped when he realized his team was about to become distracted, but he didn’t try to stop Luto and Hinata from dashing across the room. “Ri-chan! Are you here to have lunch with mom?” Luto asked and Shikamaru looked more than a little put out when he gently lifted her from his arms and turned so that he and Hinata could put the full force of their attention on her.

Akito joined them a moment later and Shikaku patted Shikamaru on the shoulder and chuckled as he stared longingly at her. “It’s your own fault for making such a cute baby.” Shikamaru huffed but did manage to look smug instead of annoyed.

“Is Mayu in her office?” Shikaku asked.

Hinata glanced over from where she’d managed to extract Shikari from Luto’s hold. “Yes, I think she’s just looking through some reports.”

“Well, I _was_ looking through them, until I realized you snatched my kid and I was forced to come out to save her from your clutches.” Mayu said as she appeared next to them.

“Pfft, Ri-chan loves us,” Luto said haughtily and somehow he had a stuffed duck in his hand and was waving it in front of her. Shikari gurgled and grabbed its beak in her fist.

Shikaku saw the moment Mayu realized Shikamaru had tagged along for their near-daily trip to the MPF. Officially, it was so that Mayu could feed Shikari "straight from the source," as she liked to say. Something about bonding and important aspects of an infant’s long-term emotional development according to "all the, you know, experts."

Shikaku had never mentioned that Shikari looked less than upset when he gave her a bottle since unofficially, they showed up for lunch because Mayu got twitchy if she went too long without holding her baby. Shikamaru, however, didn’t usually join them - his schedule was too full of meetings with important international and in-village figures to actually sneak away from the office for lunch.

She went from looking amused at her old team’s reaction to seeing Shikari to delighted in the space of a heartbeat. “Shika! You’re having lunch with us today?”

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her before brushing his lips across her cheek. “I didn’t have anything on the schedule until later, and I thought I could spend some time with my two favorite ladies.”

The look Mayu sent him made it clear she wasn’t buying that he hadn’t blown off a fair amount of work to be there, but her smile was wide and her eyes were sparkling. “Well, then,” she said a little breathlessly, “let’s get our kid. I always pack way more than papa and I can eat for lunch, so I’m sure there’s enough for all three of us. We usually go to that little park after I feed Ri-chan -”

“Actually,” Shikaku broke in, voice as casual as he could make it, “if you don’t mind watching her for the next forty-five minutes, I do have an errand I need to run.”

“Oh. Um, okay, yeah, of course. I can keep her for that long.”

Shikaku lifted the diaper bag over his head and handed it to Shikamaru, who was shooting him an amused look. Yeah, okay, it was obvious he was bowing out gracefully so the three of them could spend some stolen time together in the middle of the day. But honestly, it wasn't like he would _mind_ the extra napping time. He knew just the bench he was going to hit up for it, too - it should be nice and sunny this time of day.

Mayu was elbowing her way past Akito and protesting that Shikari was _her_ kid and that it was time to hand her over. Shikamaru glanced over at her when she finally freed Shikari from their clutches and Shikaku followed his gaze. Mayu was smiling down at her, face soft in a way that he’d never seen before Shikari came along.

“Come on, baby, you must be hungry, huh?”

Shikari beamed up at her and grasped a lock of her hair that had fallen forward. Then she opened her mouth and clearly announced, “Ma ma ma!”

Shikaku froze from where he’d been edging backward and Mayu's and Shikamaru’s eyes both widened. Then Shikamaru was closing the distance between them and grinning down at her while Mayu’s old team made impressed noises.

“Shikari-chan, baby, did you just say your first word?” Shikamaru asked and Shikari blinked at all the attention suddenly on her.

Usually, she didn’t mind it, but it was close to nap-time - she almost always fell asleep while Mayu fed her and spent the whole time she and Shikaku were eating their own food passed out in her sling against her mother’s chest. Between the sudden focus and everyone’s excited exclamations and the fact she was probably hungry and tired, it proved too much. Her little face screwed up and all three Nara cringed before the first wail even started.

“Well, you two have fun, I’ll see you after lunch,” Shikaku drawled before walking away as quickly as he could without looking like he was fleeing.

Mayu was already making a beeline for her office, rocking and shushing Shikari and promising her food and a nap. Shikaku glanced over his shoulder just before they closed her office door and the last thing he saw was Mayu and Shikamaru’s eyes meeting over the head of their dramatically sobbing child. He thought they would have been looking a little stressed or annoyed by the crying baby between them. Instead, he was struck by the stupidly happy smiles they were exchanging.

As the door shut and cut off Shikari’s cries, Shikaku realized that things couldn’t have turned out much better than this. He stuck his hands in his pockets, and it wasn’t until an Uchiha sent him a slightly disturbed look that he realized he was grinning.


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's twelve years later, and everybody is still ridiculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a small side story titled [A Little Something Extra](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15633030/chapters/36300816) that takes place between Chapter 13 and the Epilogue. If you haven't read it yet, it details how a few of the characters in the epilogue came to be, but it's not necessary to understand what's happening.
> 
> See end notes for a little cast of characters, if you're interested. :)

Shikari entered her house and sighed in relief. Thank god that was over. Their new jounin sensei (and, really, how had they ended up with Hyuuga Neji, of all people? Did Uncle Naruto want them to all end up dead at the hands of their teacher?) had put them through the wringer for their test, but they’d passed.

Nara Shikari was officially a genin. “What a drag,” she grumbled to herself as she toed off her shoes. She could hear somebody in the kitchen, probably her grandmother judging by the amazing smells permeating the house.

Shikari was still annoyed that they’d planned a party to celebrate her passing her genin test before she’d even really passed it. What if they’d failed? It’s not like it was outside the realm of possibilities. Had her family _met_ her teammates?

That was a rhetorical question since Touma and Toru had declared themselves her best friends at the age of three and promptly began stalking her. They’d made a game out of finding her hidden napping-spots and then harassing her into playing with them. Nine years later and they still hadn’t given up. She despised them. Mostly. Kind of.

She’d only made it a few steps down the hall when the door creaked open. She glanced over her shoulder and raised her brows when her mother slipped inside. She was covered in what looked like soot from head to toe and had a furtive, almost-guilty expression on her face. She froze when she saw Shikari standing in the hallway.

Her eyes darted over her and then she was smiling, teeth popping against the black smeared across her cheeks. “Riri, baby, you passed!”

She stepped back when her mother tried to hug her, giving her dirty clothes an unimpressed look and sighing at the annoying nickname. It’s what Shikana had taken to calling her when she was still too young to say her full name and it had stuck, unfortunately.

“Oh, right,” Mayu whispered, back to looking furtive. She began to edge towards the stairs. “Um, is your father home, yet?”

“Don’t think so. What happened to you?”

A nervous laugh, then, “Oh, nothing, really. It could have happened to anybody.”

“Uh huh.” Shikari highly doubted that.

She used to seriously wonder about the standards the MPF held their officers to if they’d made her mother the Head of Investigations. She was certifiable (in a cute, genius sort of way). Then Shikari had been kidnapped at the age of ten.

It had taken her mother about two hours to find her, something that would have taken most investigators at least a day. When she’d busted in, her two huge spiders and a giant praying mantis laying waste to the A-ranked nin behind the kidnapping, she’d looked like some crazed avenging angel. Especially once the explosions had begun and she’d been backlit by the flames.

So, yeah, Nara Mayu might not be the most dignified person, but she was strong and she really was the most talented investigator of her generation. A mantle Shikari fully intended to pick up at some point. Kind of. The investigator part, anyway. MPF officers seemed to have a lot of downtime, after all, and hardly ever had to travel. Shikari would just make sure she was never promoted past the title of Investigator. Because, ugh, responsibility.

“So, uh, let’s just keep this between us, huh? You know how dull your father has been about _everything_ lately.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Shikari said with a pointed look and her mother sighed.

“Yeah, well. Keep your mouth shut when you see him and I’ll let you have my new scent inhibitor prototype. That should keep the twins from finding your new napping spots for a day or two.”

Shikari eyed her with interest as she started creeping up the stairs, leaving smudges of soot in her wake. “Throw in an hour of naptime in your office tomorrow and we’ve got a deal.”

Mayu just flapped a hand at her before darting the rest of the way up the stairs. She heard her eight-year-old sister Leiko’s shrill voice say, “Momma, what happened to you?” followed by Mayu’s frantic shushing.

A glance at the mirror hanging in the hall confirmed Shikari’s suspicion that her mother had somehow managed to get soot on her cheek. She sighed and leaned forward to scrub it off with her sleeve. After making sure she was still alone she took a moment to admire the way her new hitai-ate gleamed.

Sure, being a kunoichi was going to be a series of annoying tasks and too much hard work for any one person to actually enjoy, but she couldn’t quite help her swell of pride. She adjusted her ponytail and smoothed down the two dark brown chunks of wavy hair framing her face.

The blue of the headband made her grey eyes pop, if she did say so herself, and she thought her high cheekbones, which made her resemble her grandfather and great-uncle more than her father, made her look a little fierce.

Well, until she went back into her customary slouch and let her eyes go half-lidded again. Eh, looking fierce was overrated. She’d rather be overlooked so nobody tried to like, challenge her or something. She had just turned back towards the kitchen when the front door opened again and her father stepped through.

“Dad,” she greeted calmly, though the slight uptick of her lips gave away just how happy she was to see him. She might take after her mother and grandfather in appearance, but she was pretty sure she’d gotten her soul from her father.

He looked tired, but once he saw her his face softened. “Ri-chan. How’d it go?”

She padded down the hallway so he could hug her. “Yeah, we passed,” she said morosely and he chuckled.

“I figured. I’m guessing the twins were just as difficult as you thought they’d be?”

“They’re so annoying.”

“I know. But they love you, which means they’ll have a vested interest in keeping you safe.”

“Yeah, if their bickering doesn’t get us all killed. Our sensei already hates us.”

“Eh, Neji could use a little chaos in his life.”

Shikari pulled back and rolled her eyes. “You spend too much time with mom.”

He grinned and ruffled her hair. “You seen her yet?”

“Yeah, she’s upstairs freshening up before the party.”

She rolled her eyes at the way his expression went all gooey at the mention of his wife. He’d somehow gotten worse the last few months, something she hadn't previously thought was possible. “Alright, I’m going to go say hi -”

“Daddy!” Leiko appeared at the top of the stairs, brown hair falling from its ponytail and eyes lit in excitement. She was juggling four different scrolls while she beamed down at their father.

“Look what I found! It’s -” she squeaked when she tripped over her own feet. Her scrolls went flying as she pinwheeled her arms to try and catch her balance, eyes wide.

Even though her little sister fell down the stairs at least twice a week, it made Shikari’s heart leap into her throat every time. She took a few steps forward, but her father was already blurring past her, sending the hair framing her face fluttering.

Leiko only bounced down two steps before Shikamaru was there, lifting her into his arms and staring at her with concerned eyes. “Leiko, pumpkin, are you okay?”

Her lower lip trembled and Shikari sighed when she saw the calculating glint in her eyes. It was kind of strange, seeing such a Mayu-like expression on a face that was basically a younger, more feminine version of Shikamaru’s. Before Leiko could convince their dad that he should rush across the village to the hospital so she could dominate his attention the rest of the day, Shikari cut in.

“Grandma’s in the kitchen. Do you need her to check you over?” She was careful to keep any resentment from her tone since Leiko tended to take it as a challenge. Ugh, her sister was such a brat.

Leiko’s eyes widened. Yeah, Yoshino was never impressed when they faked an injury or illness. Shikari knew from experience; she’d tried it a few times in an attempt to get out of going to class. “No! Um, no, thank you. I’m okay, daddy.”

She beamed up at him and Shikari mimed a gag when his expression softened into his ‘you’re so cute, I can’t even,’ expression. Leiko flung her arms around his neck and took the opportunity to stick her tongue out at Shikari, who just glared at her.

After he’d brought Leiko to the bottom of the stairs and fussed over her a bit, he finally remembered that he had been on his way to ‘say hi’ to his wife. Yeah, Shikari knew it was code for suck face. Her parents were the worst. Mostly. Kind of.

“Alright, girls. Go see if your grandmother needs help setting up for the party. I’m going to go check on your mom.”

They both nodded and Shikari waited until she heard him enter the master bedroom before raising her brows at her sister, who was looking delighted. “So what did mom promise you to keep him distracted?”

“Two hours in her lab,” Leiko chirped and Shikari snickered.

“You seen Shikana and her dads yet?” Shikari let Leiko slip her free hand into her own after taking half her scrolls to carry.

Leiko shook her head. “Uh-uh. They’re probably waiting until the last possible moment so that grandma doesn’t make them help.”

Shikari nodded. It’s what she would do, though Shikana was made of sweetness and sunshine so it was only a matter of time before she scolded them into submission and they came to help. If Aito was in Konoha they’d already be there, since the disapproving stares of both their children were too much for anybody to take.

“Grandma?” Shikari called when they entered the kitchen, eyeing the numerous dishes taking up space on the tables and counters. They carefully set Leiko's scrolls in one of the cupboards so that they wouldn't get gunk on them.

Yoshino glanced at them from where she was standing in front of a huge cake, icing it. “Riri! I’m guessing your jounin sensei passed you?”

Shikari nodded. “Yeah. I thought he was going to drown us after Toru’s ninken tried to pee on him, but in the end, he passed us.”

Yoshino’s face did something complicated at that before smoothing out. She was either holding back a yell, a laugh, or both. “Ah. Well, those twins do like to cause you trouble, don’t they?”

“That’s an understatement.” Though really, she’d spent half the test sleeping in a tree, so she supposed she couldn’t complain too much about their antics.

“Right. Well, your grandfather is outside setting up the tables. Why don’t you go help him?”

Shikari scowled but didn’t bother complaining. This was supposed to be her party, so why was she expected to do the setup? Leiko looked just as pouty as she was feeling as they shuffled into the yard.

Shikaku was wrestling with a stack of folded chairs, which seemed to be stuck together. Shikari eyed the three long tables already set up. Just how many people had been invited? She supposed that the firstborns of the Nara clan heads and the Rokudaime becoming ninja was one of those annoying things that were considered a Big Deal.

Shikari waved to Toru and Touma’s mother, who was laying thick white tablecloths over the tables. Her ninken were asleep in the corner of the yard, looking like a large pile of shaggy rugs. Shikari wrinkled her nose at the large banner that was strung between two fence posts that said _Congratulations!_

Leiko let go of her hand and ran over to help Hana. Shikari shoved her hands into the pockets of her pants before making her way over to Shikaku. He grunted his thanks at her when she reached over to hold one end of the stack of chairs in place. Five minutes later the chairs were free and she started dutifully unfolding them. Two geniuses and it still took them that long to figure it out.

They started setting the chairs around the tables, exchanging looks of profound suffering whenever they passed each other. They were organizing stacks of plates when Yoshino appeared with the first pan of food and carted it over to a table that was parallel to the others and had stayed chairless. Hana was behind her, carrying a bowl heaped full of rice.

“Leiko! I put out a dress for you to wear on your bed. Shikari, go clean up, okay?”

Leiko straightened from where she’d been petulantly putting out silverware and clapped her hands. She thoroughly enjoyed being Yoshino’s doll, probably due to her obsession with having all the attention on her, always. Shikari had been refusing her grandmother’s heavy-handed attempts to dress her since she was four.

Eventually, Yoshino had given up, with the exception of expecting her not to look like a slob. It was one of the few arguments she’d won against the woman, and it had taken years of campaigning. It’s not like Shikari dressed badly, anyway, she just preferred comfortable clothes to the frilly, cutesy things Yoshino tended to push at them.

Shikari shrugged apologetically at her grandfather, who just patted her on the head and smiled at her. “I’m proud of you, Ri-chan.”

Her chest warmed at the praise. “Thanks, grandpa.”

She followed Leiko back into the house, though at a much slower pace. If she got ready too quickly, she’d be roped back into setup before everybody else finished it. With the threat of more work hanging over her head, Shikari spent more time than she usually would in the shower.

Figuring she could use the excuse of trying to look presentable, she sat down on the toilet lid in her towel and half-heartedly dried her hair. By the time she was done, she could hear the sounds of multiple voices down below and knew if she didn’t show up soon her grandmother would come looking for her.

She eyed the clothes in her closet, then shrugged and pulled out a pair of green pants and a white tank top with a little green Nara clan symbol on the back. Like anybody could forget who she was. She spent some time fussing with her hitai-ate before heading out, the weight still odd on her forehead.

When she passed by Leiko’s room she glanced inside. Her sister was posing in front of her full-length mirror, twisting her body back and forth so that the hem of her blue dress swished around her knees.

“Yes, you’re very beautiful. Can we go downstairs now?”

Leiko jumped, then looked embarrassed for all of two seconds before giving Shikari’s outfit a judging look. Shikari rolled her eyes and continued down the hall without bothering to wait for her sister.

The first person she saw when she stepped out onto the lawn was Shikana, huddled by a tree with Inojin and Chōchō. Her fathers were standing with Shikaku, all three of them looking so put out that Shikari was fairly certain they’d been roped into the last of the setup, as well. Ensui had an arm flung over Kakashi’s shoulder, and all three of them had cups of sake in their hands.

The tables now had little centerpieces made of candy kunai (she knew they were candy because Chōchō was currently eating one). Red and brown streamers were hanging from the trees and the Nara and Uchiha clan symbols were printed on the gold napkins stacked on the tables. The food table seemed in danger of collapsing under the weight of the multiple dishes piled on it.

Shikari wandered over to her cousin and Shikana smiled in her usual sweet manner and stepped forward to hug her. “Riri! Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Shikana.” She returned the hug because to do otherwise would be like kicking some small animal with too-big eyes.

Shikana was tiny in her arms. She was only two years younger than Shikari (exactly - they’d been having joint birthday parties their whole lives), but she was small even for her age. She was almost three inches shorter than Inojin. The way her fine reddish-blonde hair fell to her shoulders and framed her lightly-freckled face made her seem even more delicate.

On the surface, her little cousin’s personality fit her appearance. She was kind, soft-spoken, and fairly shy. Until someone made her angry, that is, and then she was suddenly all steel and vengeance. She was disturbingly good at the Hashino Deadly Dance Technique and had picked up the Nara clan’s standard shadow jutsu impressively fast. It was a well-known truth of the many children that they’d grown up around: piss off Nara Shikana at your own risk.

Shikari was about to say hi to Inojin and Chōchō, who had been Shikana’s best friends since they were all in diapers, but was cut off by one half of the bane of her existence slamming into her. She grunted and stumbled forward, only managing not to knock her cousin down when Chōchō casually reached out and pulled her out of the way.

Two skinny arms wrapped around her and somebody’s chest pressed up against her back. “Ri-chan! Teammate extraordinaire! Light of our lives! Logic to our brawn!” A sharp bark in her ear punctuated Toru’s words and Shikari winced.

“Toru, let go of me,” she said as she tried to wriggle out of his hold. Shikana had recovered her balance and was holding a hand over her mouth and giggling.

“I don’t think she’s happy to see you,” Inojin said thoughtfully just as Shikari managed to disentangle herself from Toru’s hold.

She turned around and leveled her teammates with a glare. Toru beamed at her, dark eyes glinting and wide smile displaying his sharp canines. His ninken, Boru, was laying on his head, covering most of what Shikari knew was a mop-like growth of black hair. The Inuzuka clan markings, given to him when Itachi convinced Tsume to let him train with a ninken despite being Uchiha by name, wrinkled with the force of his smile.

Touma was standing to his right, arms crossed over his chest and lips quirked up in a small smile. He would be identical to his twin if it weren’t for his lack of clan markings. He also wore his hair long, like his father, and tied back. Shikari wasn’t fooled by his calmer facade. She knew he’d probably egged Toru on when he’d decided to practically tackle her.

“Toru, what have I told you about manhandling me?” Shikari put her hands on her hips in a pose she knew made her look eerily like her mother.

He just snickered. “Aw, Shikari, you’re so cute when you’re mad!”

“It’s because she opens her eyes all the way when she’s scolding us,” Touma supplied less-than-helpfully and Toru nodded thoughtfully.

She dropped her hands and slumped. They were in fine form today, thanks to what they considered their ‘epic win.’ Shikari was always impressed by their ability to only acknowledge the parts of reality that suited them. She was pretty sure they weren’t ‘winning’ when Hyuuga Neji knocked her out of a tree after throwing the twins into a muddy pond.

“Boys, you shouldn’t tease your teammate.” Itachi did his weird gliding thing and came to a stop behind his sons. “Hello, Shikari-chan. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Itachi-sama.”

“Raina-chan! Adorable baby cousin!” Toru yelled, startling Shikari and Boru both, and took off across the yard, heading straight for his wide-eyed cousin, who was attempting to hide behind her mother. Smart girl.

Raina's older brother, Chiro, was already heading for Shikana, Inojin, and Chōchō. Since they were all in the same age group and class at the academy they tended to congregate at these functions.

Touma sighed, though the amused smile he always wore at his brother’s antics was still in place. “I should try to save her,” he said.

“Indeed.” Itachi’s lip twitched in what might have been amusement while he watched his sons run to greet Raina and her parents. Aunt Hinata greeted them with a gentle smile while Shisui roared about defending his daughter from ruffians and mock-tackled them both to the ground.

Shikari scanned the crowd, and sure enough, Leiko had heard Raina’s name being screamed and was making her way across the yard to save her friend from her crazy cousins.

“Are your parents here?” Itachi asked, ignoring the indignity that was his cousin and children with aplomb, and Shikari shrugged.

“I think so. They went upstairs to get ready forever ago...” she drifted off and resisted the urge to groan or go rinse her eyes out with soap when the subjects of their discussion appeared on the back porch. Sometimes she wished she could turn off her ability to note and translate the smallest of details.

Her mother’s hair was slightly mussed and her skirt was wrinkled only from the knees down. Her father had blue strands of hair on his collar and he was wearing his dopey ‘my wife is the best’ face, very similar to but slightly different from his ‘how are you so cute, my daughter,’ expression. She sighed. Yep, they’d totally been making out (she firmly refused to think about what else they got up to) upstairs.

Itachi followed her gaze. “Ah. I see. Thank you, Shikari-chan. Enjoy your party.”

He started making his way towards them and she waved goodbye to him. After a furtive look around confirmed that everybody else was distracted, she started edging her way towards the food, ducking behind a random Yamanaka when her grandmother’s eagle-eyes swept over the area. She finished loading up a plate with all of her favorites with only one detour to hide under the table when she'd heard Toru’s voice calling out to her.

She’d gotten pretty good at ducking them, in that she managed to avoid them about forty percent of the time. Toru’s training with his grandmother already made him a fairly good tracker, and Touma’s freaky Uchiha awareness made them hard to hide from. The only true break she’d gotten from them from the time she was a toddler was the twins’ one and only real fight.

When Touma had refused to choose a ninken and train alongside Toru, the blowout had been epic. Up until then, they’d done everything together (including forming an obsession with being Shikari’s best friend). Toru had wanted ninken, just like his mother, since he was barely a toddler.

Itachi had made a special request of the Inuzuka clan to allow his sons the option of training in the Inuzuka techniques. Since he was the Hokage at the time and the children in question were their clan head’s grandbabies, they’d said yes. Shikari could have told Toru that Touma wasn’t interested, but he’d been completely blindsided by the revelation.

Touma had always been fascinated by his Aunt Chiasa’s puppets, who used the abilities of her Sharingan to control them with a preciseness that had made her one of the best puppeteers of her generation - and not just in Konoha. On the odd occasions that he wasn’t with Toru, he was following her around, begging her to teach him how to form chakra threads.

When their grandmother revealed just how much time and energy went into training with a ninken, he’d balked. Touma wanted to be a puppeteer, just like Nara Mayu and Uchiha Chiasa, and he couldn’t do both. When he’d said it out loud, well...Shikari never wanted to witness another fight between them again.

They’d barely spoken for a month, which meant they were too busy sulking and proving how awesome they were at their obviously-superior chosen paths to focus on torturing her. It had been a beautiful month of napping and silence. Mostly. Kind of.

So maybe she’d gotten a little bored, and possibly a little lonely. Shikari was fairly certain that it had been some form of Stockholm Syndrome. In the end, she’d tracked them down, possibly for the first time ever, and then channeled her inner Yoshino and berated them into talking it out.

A day didn’t go by that she didn’t regret that moment of insanity.

She was standing next to a tree (behind it), listening to the sounds of conversation increasing as more and more people showed up when someone called her name. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the biting sting of mortification and unrequited love.

“Shikari! There you are.” Shikari licked her lips, suddenly all-too-aware of the dip she’d dripped on her shirt a few minutes ago and the way her hair was frizzing thanks her half-hearted attempt at drying it before pulling it back.

“Um, hi, Chiasa-nee.” It took a force of will to keep from shuffling her feet when her mother’s old apprentice beamed down at her. She was, as always, unfairly beautiful with her long, shiny black hair and wide black eyes and perfect skin and perfect _everything._

Chiasa pulled her in for a hug and Shikari’s stomach fluttered and an annoying heat started at her throat and made its way up to her cheeks.

“Ri-chan, I haven’t seen you in ages. I thought maybe you were avoiding me!” Chiasa teased as she pulled back.

 _Yep, definitely avoiding you. But only because I don’t want to you realize that I have an epic, embarrassing crush on you._ “Nope, just the twins, they’ve been keeping me busy.” She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at everything except for the woman that her annoying self had decided to focus all of her pre-adolescent longing on.

Having a crush was horrible, especially when it was on somebody who only saw her as a cute little sister figure. Which, to be fair, it would be pretty creepy if Chiasa saw her as anything else, seeing as she was twenty-one and Shikari was twelve. Being a pre-teen sucked.

“Ah. I see.” She really did, considering she used to babysit the three of them all the time back when she was still her mother’s apprentice.

“Well, congratulations. Your hitai-ate suits you.” Another sparkling smile and Shikari started to wonder if she’d ever be able to hang out with Chiasa without her stomach fluttering so hard that she legitimately worried that she might throw up. “Now, come on, Yoshino-san is starting to look suspicious. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the twins.”

Then she put her arm around Shikari and throwing up was seeming more and more likely. She followed the pull against her shoulders meekly and prayed somebody would come to save her from herself soon.

Shikari scanned the crowd when they emerged from her hiding place. She had heard the Uzumakis arrive (you always heard them before you saw them), and it took her a moment to spot them. Her uncles Torii and Naruto were standing with her dad and Itachi, probably talking about boring things. She was actually pretty impressed that Naruto had managed to make it. Being Hokage meant he was hardly ever around.

Boruto had tracked down Chiro and was beaming at him, blonde hair and blue eyes a stark contrast to the other boy’s dark locks and white eyes. Shikana, Inojin, and Chōchō were with them, laughing at whatever they were saying. They both had the energy of their fathers, which meant they tended to steal the spotlight when they were together.

Jurou was standing a bit off to the side, studying a large spider that was skittering across his jacket and generally trying to emulate his father’s cool Aburame exterior. It was always somewhat compromised by his shock of pink hair and semi-infamous short temper, but Shikari gave him credit for trying despite the setbacks.

Torii and Naruto’s youngest, Tamaki, who looked like a smaller version of his brother, was standing with Leiko and Raina, huddled together talking about god knows what. Shikari relaxed at the sight. She’d been a little worried that Leiko’s friendship with Tamaki, Raina, and the fourth member of their little crew who still hadn’t shown up, Komin, would suffer when she decided not to attend the Academy with them. But it had been a year and the bonds they’d formed as children were still strong.

Shikari might think Leiko was almost as annoying as Touma and Toru but in the end, she wanted her to be happy. She knew she wasn’t the only one who had worried Leiko would be lonely after she announced her plan to join the Science Corps. instead of becoming a kunoichi. Most of their friends and family were ninja, after all. As always, though, her little sister seemed to be doing just fine.

“So, who did you get for a jounin sensei?” Chiasa’s question pulled Shikari from her distracted musings and she glanced over at her (luminescent) face.

“Hyuuga Neji.”

Chiasa stopped in her tracks, expression going blank in shock, and then gleeful. She pushed her face closer to Shikari's and whispered, “Wait, really? Can you introduce me?”

Shikari leaned away from her, cheeks now burning so hot she was worried they’d sustain permanent damage. “I...yes? I’m pretty sure dad invited him.”

There was a sinking sensation in her stomach when Chiasa clasped her hands together under her chin. “That would be wonderful. I’ve seen him from a distance and heard stories about him, of course. He’s so handsome and talented. I can’t believe he’s still single!”

“Isn’t he a little old for you?” Shikari grumbled before she could stop herself, then winced at the admittedly-jealous-sounding question. Seriously, where were the twins when she actually needed them?

“Shikari, you’re so unromantic! He’s only in his mid-thirties. That’s not so old once you’re past twenty. Besides, older men make better lovers.”

Shikari choked on air but Chiasa wasn’t paying enough attention to realize how odd she was acting since she was standing on her tip-toes attempting to scan the crowd. Shikari had just gotten her breathing under control when Chiasa squealed and latched onto her arm. Why did she keep touching her? Shikari would have a permanent blush by the end of this.

“There he is! Come on, Shikari!”

Before she could protest Chiasa was dragging her through the crowd. Shikari waved helplessly at people as they called out congratulations when she passed. Neji was deep in conversation with Shisui, Hinata nowhere in sight. She’d probably ended up finding Shikari’s mother and now they were ‘discussing things’ (gossiping).

Both men looked up when Chiasa practically shoved Shikari forward. She stumbled before catching her balance, then sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Shikari-chan! Come to say hi to your poor uncle Shisui?” He placed a hand on his chest, the seals around his eyes a sharp contrast to his dramatic expression. Shikari always thought he acted a little ridiculous for an ex-convict. Shouldn’t he be more edgy and less of a goofball?

“Hey, Uncle Shisui. Thanks for coming.” She shuffled her feet and shoved her hands into her pockets, then glanced over at Neji. He didn’t look any happier to see her now than he had after the Pee Incident. She wondered if he was one of those people that held a grudge. Probably. He was a Hyuuga.

“Hey, Neji-sensei. Uh. Are you enjoying the party?”

“It’s nice,” he said in a flat tone. Oh, yeah, her time as a genin was going to be just buckets of laughs. Chiasa prodded her in the back with a finger and Shikari sighed and looked up at the sky.

“Have you met Uchiha Chiasa? She was my mom’s apprentice,” she monotoned.

To her horror, Neji actually looked slightly interested at that. Chiasa stepped forward, suddenly all smooth Uchiha manners. How she could turn that on and off was a mystery.

“Hyuuga-san, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

He gave a slight bow. “It is nice to meet you, as well. I’ve heard of you, of course, both for your impressive work with puppets and on the Allied Forces, and through our mutual acquaintances.”

Chiasa smiled and Shikari didn’t miss the slight twitch of Neji’s cheek. It actually made her feel a bit better about her own doomed feelings. Nobody could resist the Chiasa Smile.

“So strange that we’ve never met before, isn’t it?”

Shisui’s eyes were darting between the three of them, looking a mixture of amused and sympathetic. Awesome, because that’s what Shikari’s pride needed. Pity.

She hunched her shoulders and wondered if it would be rude to just walk away. She knew Chiasa wasn’t trying to hurt her, considering she had no idea how Shikari felt. It just sucked that every time they hung out Shikari left the interaction feeling down and vaguely embarrassed.

“Riri, baby, there you are!” Her mother appeared next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. Shikari glanced up at her and relaxed at the soft smile on her face. Here to provide a rescue, then.

“Oh, no, look at that, you’ve stained your shirt! Come on, let’s get you a new one before your grandmother sees. Neji, Chiasa, sorry I can’t stay to chat. I’ll see you in a few minutes, okay?”

 _Yeah, mom, not obvious at all._ Still, she was grateful for the save, so didn’t roll her eyes.

Shikari was pretty sure her heart shriveled a little when Chiasa barely glanced away from Neji when Mayu pulled her away. Somehow her mother hustled them through the crowd with minimal interruptions and they made it into the house and up the stairs to Shikari’s room without pausing.

As soon as the door was closed her mother pulled her against her chest and wrapped her in a soothing hug. Shikari sniffled, unable to quite stop the small, pitiful sound from escaping. Mayu just tightened her arms and Shikari melted into her admittedly soft and comfy chest.

“Shikari, I’m so sorry. That looked awful.” She wasn’t even bothered that her mother knew exactly why it had been awful - hiding most things from her was impossible, after all.

Shikari just nodded, miserable, and made a content sound when her mother rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back. “I hate being twelve. It’s so stupid and - and _illogical_ to have a crush on somebody who will never like me back!”

“I know. It really is a lame age. I thought it was pretty much the worst, too.”

Her mother’s sympathy went a long ways towards making Shikari feel better. Still, how much could she really understand what Shikari was going through? According to everybody, she and dad had been a done deal since they first met. When she voiced her thoughts, Mayu laughed.

“Well, first of all, just because everybody else knew, doesn’t mean we did. Honestly, I was a bit of a disaster around your age. Just...don’t let jealousy get the best of you, okay? That just ends in juice being dumped in laps and dramatic near-death experiences.”

“...what?” She could never have just a normal interaction with her mother. She was so weird.

Shikari pulled back to look up at her. She was grinning, hair a little messy and a bit of soot she must have missed while cleaning up smudged behind one ear, but Shikari thought she was beautiful. It was times like this, when she managed to pull Shikari out of a funk with just a few words and a hug, that she really appreciated having her for a mother.

“Alright,” Mayu said. “A smile. That’s much better. Let’s get you into a new shirt and then head back downstairs, okay?”

She let her pull out a cutesy pink blouse without fussing, then sat down so she could fix her hair. “Did you do your practice and meditation this week?” Mayu asked as she pulled a brush through her hair after adding some serum to help smooth it down.

Shikari froze at the question. Damn it. If there was one thing her mother would get all authority-figure about, it was practicing the violin and keeping up with the meditation that insured her mind cave stayed neat and organized.

The first because Mayu wanted her to have an ‘artistic outlet,’ or something; the second because she didn’t want Shikari to go crazy and try and take over the world. Or disappear into a drug den. Both seemed less than ideal.

“Um. I forgot?”

Mayu gave her a stern look in the mirror. It looked strange on her face, but Shikari gave her credit for trying. “You get a pass today, but I expect you to do it right when you wake up tomorrow.”

“But I have team practice tomorrow!” Shikari protested.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to wake up early, won’t you?” She put her nose in the air imperiously before going back to pulling Shikari’s hair back.

Shikari sighed but didn’t try to argue again. Last time she’d ‘forgotten’ her mother had sent her summons after her. They’d refused to let her nap or even lay down until she completed her tasks. It wasn’t worth getting stubborn over.

When they returned to the party the twins were lying in wait for her. Toru took her hands in his own and beamed at her. “Shikari! Our flower! You look beautiful in pink!”

“A true vision,” Touma intoned.

Mayu rolled her eyes and ruffled their hair (well, Boru’s fur, since he was still on Toru’s head), ignoring Touma’s indignant gasp and Boru’s yap. “I’ll leave her in your capable hands,” she said, then made a beeline for her dad, who was starting to look a little droopy without his wife by his side.

Shikari wondered if she could convince him to escape with her into the woods for a well-earned nap.

“Are you okay?” Toru asked once they were alone, leaning in so that he wouldn’t be overheard. He and Touma were frowning and looking genuinely worried, and their concern eased the rest of her hurt feelings. Maybe they weren’t completely awful all the time.

“Yeah, just spilled something on my shirt. Mom noticed and brought me upstairs to change.”

Two identical looks of disbelief followed that statement but they didn’t push. Touma clapped his hands together. “Well, I believe your grandmother just brought out the cake!”

They moved to either side of her and put their arms through hers so they could drag her towards the table, where Yoshino was brandishing a large knife. Shikari balked at the sight but they just kept pulling her along despite her dragging feet. Shikaku was looking miserable and handing out champagne flutes next to her.

Everybody was wandering over to admire the large red and green and gold monstrosity of a cake, and in the shuffle, Shikari and the twins ended up standing between their two sets parents. Her dad pulled her out of the twins’ grasp to wrap an arm around her shoulders and drop a kiss on her head. Mayu was staring down at the champagne she’d just been handed with an odd expression.

Shikari rolled her eyes. Right, she was tired of their pathetic attempts at subterfuge and ‘meaningful’ looks. “Grandpa! You need to bring mom something else to drink if we’re doing toasts.”

Everybody around them looked over at her in interest and Mayu hissed at her to be quiet. Shikari leaned around her father to shoot her an unimpressed look. “What? I heard you and dad say it was time to start telling people. May as well get it out of the way all at once. Like ripping off a band-aid.”

“Tell people what?” Aunt Ino was giving Mayu a narrow-eyed, suspicious look. Aunt Sakura was standing next to her and doing her best to look like she had no idea what was happening.

Yoshino had paused mid-cut with the knife and Shikari's parents were having one of their married-people conversations that only required some eyebrow wiggling and meaningful looks. Mayu turned to her. “Uh, Shikari, we don’t want to take the attention away on your big day -”

Shikari turned to the twins. “Toru, Touma, do you care if mom and dad announce that they’re pregnant at our party?”

There were gasps around them and a few excited squeals and Toru and Touma, who were always down for causing mischief and drama, both shook their heads. “Nope! Announce away!”

“We don’t mind!”

Shikamaru was staring up at the sky and Mayu was looking betrayed and generally panicked at the attention that was suddenly on them. Shikari just shrugged when she turned to glare at her. She’d been listening to them agonize over how to break the news to everybody for weeks. She was doing them a favor, really. It had nothing to do with getting revenge for being forced into attending this party. Everybody important already knew, anyway. Kind of.

“Uh. Surprise?” Mayu finally said.

“You - but - how?” Ino sputtered. “You swore you’d never have another after Shikari. And again after Leiko. You were miserable!”

“Hey!” Leiko said from where she was squished between Raina and Tamaki. Uchiha Kamin had shown up at some point and was standing just behind them, usual bored expression in place. “Mom says I’m a joy!”

Shikari snickered along with the twins at that statement since they were all well aware of what a brat she was. Leiko stuck her tongue out at them.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly...on purpose.” Mayu sniffed when Uncle Sasuke scoffed.

“We might need to rethink your and Shikamaru’s status as geniuses. Only an idiot would get pregnant three times on _accident.”_

Aunt Yuhui smacked him lightly on the arm, though she looked like she was holding back laughter. They were next to Leiko and crew, probably because that’s where Kamin was. Sasuke was weirdly overprotective of his son, despite the boy’s fierce independent streak. It had caused more than a few fights between the two.

“Hey, it was a perfectly reasonable mistake! I was called out on a case in the middle of my physical and didn’t realize that I hadn’t gotten my birth control shot yet. Really, it’s the doctor’s fault for having five separate shots they insist on giving people...” She trailed off at the lack of sympathetic looks, then crossed her arms over her chest and sulked.

“This is great news!” Yoshino said and her husband barely ducked out of the way when there was more excited knife-waving. “With Leiko going to the civilian school all day now, Shikaku and I have so much free time. A baby will make for such a nice distraction!”

She beamed, and though Shikari knew her grandfather enough to see he was happy about the news, he looked less than convinced that a baby would be a ‘nice distraction.’ But then, he’d already been through this twice with Shikari and Leiko. Shouldn’t the guy be allowed to retire in peace?

Mayu perked up and Shikamaru sent Shikaku an apologetic look. “Well, it’s a boy, this time.”

Everybody was properly impressed at this bit of information, and even Shikari had to admit to some level of excitement. Hopefully, he would be more like her than Leiko, and wouldn’t protest when Shikari started teaching him proper cloud-watching techniques.

“Well, as exciting as this is, it’s time for toasts! Shikaku, get Mayu some apple juice.”

Shikari shared eye rolls with Toru and Touma. Yeah, this felt a little ridiculous, but she supposed this level of fuss is what happened when you were practically the oldest in a brood of children created by multiple overbearing high-powered individuals. They didn’t protest, though, knowing it was futile.

Shikari really could have done without the embarrassing stories of them as children everybody seemed hell-bent on telling, but it could have been worse. After the adults had all had too much champaign and the kids had too much cake, everyone wandered off to chatter in small groups.

Her parents were surrounded by well-wishers and Shikari’s lips turned up into a smile when she saw the looks they kept exchanging. Her mother might complain about the horrors of pregnancy, and her father might get a haunted expression whenever somebody teased him about having to live through another said pregnancy, but they were happy. Anybody could see it.

“Grandpa!” Toru screamed and Shikari rolled her eyes when the twins took off across the yard and tackled Fugaku. Inuzuka Tsume was laughing at him between drinks of sake and he wore the same expression that he always did around the twins. A mix of horrified exasperation and fondness.

He must have been working late at the MPF again and only just arrived. Shikari had heard her mother and Sasuke discussing Yuhui’s upcoming takeover of Chief of Police, and assumed he was busy tying up loose ends. He was almost sixty so it was about time, really. Shikari fully intended to retire at forty-five, like her grandfather.

Toru and Touma appeared next to her a few minutes later and she raised a brow at the blankets in their arms. “Come on,” Touma said.

“Let’s get out of here,” Toru added. Boru barked his agreement.

They slipped away from the party and headed towards Shikari’s grandparents’ house without needing to discuss it. A few minutes later they were on the cloud watching hill, laying on blankets and watching the stars appear in the rapidly darkening sky.

Shikari was full of food and happy vibes, which is the only reason she could think of for why she said what she did next. “I’m glad it’s you two.”

She glanced to her right, where Touma was lying with his hair spread out around him. He met her gaze and smiled. Toru lifted his head from his other side so he could see her and grinned.

“Us, too. It wouldn’t be right if the three of us weren’t together.”

“What would we do without our precious flower?”

“The rational to our impetuous.”

“The dark to our light.”

“The voice of reason to our -”

“I take it back,” Shikari said and looked back up at the stars. “I hate you and being on a team with you is going to suck.”

They both laughed and she gave up trying to hold back her smile. They were ridiculous and annoying and never left her alone, but she supposed they were alright. Mostly. Kind of.

Her eyes had grown heavy and she was contemplating just falling asleep there - her father would show up eventually and carry her home to her own bed - when a voice she hadn’t expected to hear that day broke the silence.

“Ah, I thought I might find you here.”

Shikari sat up and twisted around. Standing on the hill, tall and slim in his Allied Forces uniform, was Aito.

“Nii-san!” Shikari jumped to her feet and ran across the grass. He laughed and caught her in a hug, spinning her around.

“You came,” she said, pulling back to grin up at him once he set her back down.

“Of course I did. I was a little late thanks to a mission running long, but I requested the time off ages ago. Hello Touma, Toru.”

They took the greeting as tactic permission to get their own hugs. For Uchiha (or anybody, really), they were pretty effusive. “Look how big you all got. It’s only been a year since I last saw you!”

Aito’s eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled and the familiar sight had Shikari’s eyes filling with annoying tears (yeah, this whole hormone thing was horrifying). She had missed him. He’d been her big brother in everything but blood, just as much as he was Shikana’s. They’d all supported his decision to accept the offer to join the Allied Forces last year for a three-year stint, but nobody had been excited about it.

Everybody loved Aito. He was steady and kind and always knew what to say when you were upset. The perfect older brother, really. Shikari’s mom had said once right after he left that he probably needed the space to figure out who he was outside of 'caretaker _,'_ and while Shikari agreed, it still sucked not having him around.

He put an arm around her shoulders when he noticed her expression. “Aw, Riri, I’m sorry I’m not around much.”

She shrugged and shoved her face against his side, not unaware that the twins were attempting to sneak away to give them space. Sneaking wasn’t exactly their specialty, and she giggled wetly when Toru tripped and Touma scolded him.

“It’s okay,” she said once she was sure she wouldn’t cry. “I’m proud of you, I guess. I just missed you.”

“Missed you, too, kiddo. Soon you’ll be busy being a kick-ass kunoichi, though, and won’t have time to miss your old, boring cousin.”

Shikari pulled away so he could see her roll her eyes. “I plan on being an average kunoichi, thanks very much.”

He laughed and patted her head. “Anything else would be too troublesome?”

“That’s right.”

He leaned down so that they were at eye level, eyes bright with humor even though he was trying to look serious. “Well, I hate to tell you this, but you don’t have an average bone in your body.”

Shikari warmed at the praise, but she just shrugged. “Fake it till you make it.”

He laughed again and threw his arm back around her shoulders. “Come on, your mom asked me to find you and bring you back. Hokage-sama drank too much and started a bonfire and is now insisting on toasting marshmallows with the ‘heroes of the hour.’”

Shikari groaned but let him lead her back towards her house. Sure enough, she could make out the glow of a fire through the trees. “Aunt Sakura didn’t stop him?”

“Nope, she also drank too much. She’s the one that went on a marshmallow run.”

Shikari laughed and leaned against his side. “Sounds awful.”

“Yeah, well, what can you do?” Aito asked.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Shikari said, but she didn’t really sound upset, not even to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the support throughout this! I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every comment and kudo. You are all fantastic. :)
> 
> I'm going to risk a long annoying Author's Note and jot down the cast of children characters, in case you want to see all the kids and who they belong to at a glance:
> 
> Mayu and Shikamaru - Shikari (12), Leiko (8)
> 
> Kakashi and Ensui \- Aito (15), Shikana (10)
> 
> Itachi and Hana \- Touma (12) and Toru (12)
> 
> Shisui and Hinata \- Chiro (10), Raina (8)
> 
> Sakura and Junto \- Jurou (10)
> 
> Naruto and Torii \- Boruto (9), Tamaki (7)
> 
> Sasuke and Yuhui \- Kamin (7)
> 
> Ino and Sai \- Inojin (10)
> 
> Chouji and Karui \- Chōchō (10)


End file.
